{"id":709465,"date":"2026-04-13T06:33:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T06:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/709465\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T06:33:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T06:33:54","slug":"timberwolves-welcome-back-garnett-beat-pelicans-in-regular-season-finale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/709465\/","title":{"rendered":"Timberwolves Welcome Back Garnett, Beat Pelicans in Regular-Season Finale"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AGarnett’s emotional return to the Timberwolves’ home court symbolizes the franchise’s storied history and bright future.New Orleans Today<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 132-126 in the regular-season finale, with franchise legend Kevin Garnett making a special appearance for fan appreciation night. The Timberwolves rested most of their starters, giving extended playing time to reserves like Joe Ingles and rookie Joan Beringer, who had a standout performance. The Pelicans, already eliminated from playoff contention, got strong games from Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

Garnett’s return to Target Center was a significant moment for Timberwolves fans, as the Hall of Famer had a falling out with the previous team ownership. His jersey retirement ceremony is planned for a later date, further cementing his legacy with the franchise. The game also provided an opportunity for younger Timberwolves players to get extended playing time ahead of the playoffs.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

With the Timberwolves locked into the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, the team rested nine of their top 10 players for the regular-season finale. This allowed fan favorite Joe Ingles to make a token start, and rookie forward Joan Beringer to shine with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 blocks. The Pelicans, who were already eliminated from playoff contention, got strong performances from Jeremiah Fears (36 points, 10 rebounds) and Derik Queen (30 points, 22 rebounds).<\/p>\n

The Timberwolves (49-33) played their regular-season finale on Sunday, April 13, 2026.Garnett, who had a falling out with previous owner Glen Taylor, reached an agreement last year to serve as an ambassador for the Timberwolves.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Kevin Garnett<\/p>\n

A Hall of Fame forward and the all-time franchise leader for the Timberwolves in nearly every major statistical category. Garnett made a special appearance for fan appreciation night, receiving a roar from the crowd as he walked onto the court.<\/p>\n

Anthony Edwards<\/p>\n

The current star player for the Timberwolves, who greeted Garnett with a bear hug when he entered the arena.<\/p>\n

Joan Beringer<\/p>\n

A rookie forward for the Timberwolves who had an outstanding performance in the regular-season finale, scoring 24 points with 12 rebounds and 7 blocks.<\/p>\n

Jeremiah Fears<\/p>\n

A player for the Pelicans who had 36 points and 10 rebounds in the game.<\/p>\n

Derik Queen<\/p>\n

A Pelicans player who had 30 points and a career-high 22 rebounds in the game.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The Pelicans don’t have a first-round pick in the draft this year, and their first offseason priority is naming a new head coach after firing Willie Green earlier in the season. The Timberwolves will play the No. 3 seed Nuggets in a first-round playoff series starting in Denver on Saturday.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

Garnett’s return to the Timberwolves was a heartwarming moment for the franchise and its fans, as the team celebrated the legacy of one of its all-time greats. Despite resting their starters, the Timberwolves were still able to secure a victory, showcasing the depth of their roster and providing valuable playing time for younger players ahead of the playoffs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a Garnett’s emotional return to the Timberwolves’ home court symbolizes the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":709466,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3782],"tags":[7,307,152,3954,6,308],"class_list":{"0":"post-709465","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-minnesota-timberwolves","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-minnesota","10":"tag-minnesota-timberwolves","11":"tag-minnesotatimberwolves","12":"tag-nba","13":"tag-timberwolves"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116396011363298033","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=709465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/709466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=709465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=709465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=709465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}