Minnesota Timberwolves at Memphis Grizzlies
Date: April 10th, 2025
Time: 8:30 PM CDT
Location: FedEx Forum
Television Coverage: TNT/TruTV/MAX/FanDuel Sports Network North
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM/Wolves App/iHeart Radio
The Wolves Had It. And Then They Timberwolved It. Again.
Picture it: Milwaukee. A Tuesday night in April. The Timberwolves riding a five-game heater, beating down the Bucks like they’re a sentient version of that punching bag in Rocky. Ant is doing Ant things. Rudy’s swatting shots like he’s playing volleyball at the French Riviera. The ball is moving. The energy is high. It feels like we’re not just going to beat the Bucks—we’re going to make them question the meaning of basketball.
We’re up 24 in the fourth quarter. The 4-seed is ours. Maybe even the 3 if the Lakers trip up. Wolves fans are eyeing matchups, planning flights, booking Airbnbs for playoff games.
And then…
The Wolves did the most Wolves thing imaginable.
They imploded. They vanished. They got rattled by a zone defense. That’s right. A zone. As if Doc Rivers pulled the 2-3 out of a dusty AAU binder from 1997, slapped it on the court, and suddenly Minnesota forgot how to pass. Or dribble. Or breathe.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, the 24-point lead had become a 3-point loss, and the Wolves had plummeted from “Home-court advantage in Round 1” to “Congratulations, you’re back in the play-in.” They got kicked in the teeth by themselves. It was like watching someone fumble a golden ticket into a sewer drain while trying to take a selfie.
And then came the quotes. The postgame shrugs. “They threw a zone at us.” “We’ll move on.” “Thursday’s game is more important.” Look, I’m all for short-term memory in sports—but at least pretend you understand the emotional trauma you just inflicted on an entire fanbase.
Here’s the thing: there’s no time to wallow. The most important game of the regular season now comes Thursday night in Memphis, and if you’re a fan of chaos, tiebreakers, or red-eyed Wolves fans pacing their living rooms like dads in the delivery room, you’re in for a treat.
Let’s look at the Western standings real quick. Four teams. Identical records. 46-32. Nuggets. Clippers. Warriors. Grizzlies. They are sandwiched by the Lakers at 47-31 and the Wolves at 46-33. That’s not a playoff bracket. That’s a Rubik’s Cube.
Win Thursday, and Minnesota puts themselves in position for the 6-seed. Lose? Enjoy the play-in, where one night of some after-thought player pulling an impression of Obi Toppin, Kyle Kuzma, or Jordan Poole could send you packing.
If the Wolves win out—Memphis, Brooklyn, Utah—they’re 49-33. Depending on what the Clippers, Nuggets, and Warriors do, that could get them to 6. Maybe 5.
But if they lose Thursday night? Game over, man. Game over.
Let’s talk keys to the game in Memphis.
1. Don’t Panic When You See a Zone
Seriously. Maybe watch 10 minutes of Syracuse tape. Pretend Jim Boeheim is standing on the sideline waving an old man cane. Whatever you need to do. If Doc Rivers can break your will with a zone defense, imagine what Memphis is cooking up.
Ball movement, patience, and decision-making. It’s not complicated. If the Wolves pass the ball like they did in the third quarter in Milwaukee, they win this game. If they revert to “Ant dribbles for 18 seconds then launches a heat check,” we’re in trouble.
2. Get Rudy Involved—Like, Actually Involved
Rudy finished with 6 points and 9 boards in Milwaukee. That’s not going to cut it. He needs to be at 15-and-15 minimum. When Rudy is locked in, cleaning the glass, diving on lobs, and being the French menace we know he can be, this team turns into a legit two-way monster. When he disappears, the team starts looking like it’s auditioning for The Last Dance: G-League Edition.
3. Take Care of the Ball
What happened in the fourth quarter in Milwaukee wasn’t just bad—it was catastrophic. Turnovers, lazy passes, panic dribbles. It felt like the team forgot that offense is supposed to result in a shot, not a highlight reel of self-inflicted wounds. You can’t play Memphis on the road and give them free points off live-ball turnovers. That’s the stuff that gets you sent to the 9-seed (even though it’s mathematically impossible).
4. Let Ant Be Ant… But Not That Ant
Ant scored 25 against the Bucks but looked like he was auditioning for a one-man Broadway play in the fourth quarter. Hero ball. Forced threes. Shrugging off double teams like he’s impervious to consequences. We need Playoff Ant. Aggressive, slashing, dishing Ant. The one who draws two defenders and makes the smart pass. The Ant who gets to the line. Not “Let me take a one-legged fadeaway over Brook Lopez because the vibe felt right” Ant.
This is his moment. National TV. A desperate Wolves team. A chance to save the season. This is where he proves whether he’s an All-NBA guy… or just another dude with a signature shoe.
Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Tuesday night was brutal. It was one of the most painful regular season losses in franchise history—and that’s saying something, because this team’s history is basically a Greek tragedy.
But here’s the thing about pain: it doesn’t have to define you.
Win Thursday, and Tuesday becomes a footnote. Beat Memphis, roll over Brooklyn and Utah, and you’re likely looking at the 6-seed and a first-round date with the Lakers. No, it’s not the first round draw we were hoping for, but, man, if that wouldn’t be a fun and emotionally charged matchup. It would be the premiere series of the first-round, hands down.
Maybe the Wolves get to wipe that smug smile off of LeBron’s face. Maybe we get some payback for the 2003 and 2004 post-seasons. Maybe we get to send Luke Doncic packing this year. Maybe Ant elevates himself in the national spotlight and becomes the face of the league. Maybe this is the start of something…
Or maybe… well, you know. We’ve seen that movie too.
But for now? One game. One moment. Win Thursday night, and the dream stays alive.
