Timberwolves take on Warriors in round 2 of NBA playoffs: Schedule, stats and everything you need to know
After a gentleman's sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a matchup with the Golden State Warriors up next.
The 7th-seeded Wolves needed just five games to take care of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Lakers. Now, they'll face the 6-seed Warriors, featuring Steph Curry, Draymond Green and former Timberwolf Jimmy Butler.
Here's everything you need to know about the Timberwolves' second-round playoff matchup.
When do the Timberwolves and Warriors play?
Here's the full schedule for the Timberwolves' series against the Warriors:
- Game 1: Tuesday, May 6, 8:30 p.m. CT at Target Center in Minneapolis (Warriors 99 - Timberwolves 88)
- Game 2: Thursday, May 8, 7:30 p.m. CT at Target Center in Minneapolis (Warriors 93 - Timberwolves 117)
- Game 3: Saturday, May 10, 7:30 p.m. CT at Chase Center in San Francisco
- Game 4: Monday, May 12, 9 p.m. CT at Chase Center in San Francisco
- Game 5: Wednesday, May 14, time TBD at Target Center in Minneapolis
- Game 6 (if necessary): Sunday, May 18, time TBD at Chase Center in San Francisco
- Game 7 (if necessary): Tuesday, May 20, 7:30 p.m. CT at Target Center in Minneapolis
Are tickets available?
Tickets for the first three Wolves home games are now on sale on the team's website. As of Monday, the cheapest tickets available are $183.
How did the Timberwolves and Warriors look in the first round?
Both the Wolves and Warriors went up 3-1 in their opening round matchups, but things looked very different from there.
The Wolves dominated Game 1 against the Lakers before struggling offensively in a Game 2 loss. Then, they won three straight to take the series. They averaged 107.4 points a game while giving up 100.4. The Wolves' defense held the Lakers under 100 points in three of the five games.
As has become routine, Anthony Edwards had a strong series, averaging 26.8 points a game. But the Wolves locked up the series thanks to stellar efforts from their other stars. Julius Randle averaged 22.6 points and consistently used his size to bully the Laker's smaller lineup. And in the closeout game, when the Wolves had a historically bad night from the three-point line (7-of-47), center Rudy Gobert stepped up offensively, putting up 27 points and grabbing nine offensive rebounds. Jaden McDaniels was the Wolves' driving force for much of the series, locking down the defensive end while averaging 17.4 points.
The Warriors, meanwhile, surrendered two straight after their 3-1 start, setting up a Game 7 with the Houston Rockets. Though they closed out the series decisively with a 103-89 win, they now enter round 2 without the significant rest the Wolves earned.
Golden State averaged 104 points a game and allowed the exact same average on defense.
How did the Timberwolves and Warriors match up in the regular season?
The Wolves went 1-3 against the Warriors in the regular season, with the lone win coming on the road. They averaged 107.8 points against Golden State while allowing 108.3.
Overall, the Wolves were the better regular season team. They finished a game ahead of the Warriors in the standings. They also ranked higher than the Warriors in both offensive rating (8th vs. 15th) and defensive rating (6th vs. 7th).
Who are the players to watch out for?
On the Minnesota side, Edwards will look to continue his stretch of stellar postseason play. McDaniels and Gobert will need to set the tone defensively, and Randle will need to keep playing bully ball against a Warriors team that, like the Lakers, lacks size.
Off the bench, Naz Reid will need to step it up after a fairly pedestrian first round.
For Golden State, Curry is the obvious main threat. He's still deadly from beyond the arc, and his hustle in Game 7 showed that age hasn't much hindered his game.
Butler is the team's No. 2 scoring option, and he'll likely be motivated to make a statement against his former team.
Likewise, Green will look to prove he's a better defender than Gobert, whom he has criticized often and loudly. Though Green isn't much of an offensive threat, he'll relish any highlight-reel plays against Gobert from his teammates.
