How Timberwolves' toughness on the road makes them lethal

Minnesota Timberwolves don't get enough credit for road wins

Everyone remembers that this team has made back-to-back appearances in the Western Conference Finals. What the Wolves don't get enough credit for is their ability to grind out road wins that build momentum and allow them to seize control of a series.

Since 2024, the Wolves have posted a winning record of 12-8 in road playoff games. In both the 2024 and the 2026 postseason, Minnesota has been a top-four team in scoring, a top-four team in outside shooting and a top-five team in field goal percentage. And, for the second consecutive year, the Wolves are a top-five playoff team in terms of committing the fewest turnovers per game.

Compared to other playoff teams in the 2025 playoffs, the Wolves' numbers aren't particularly impressive. But the actual game results speak for themselves. 

Against a Los Angeles Lakers squad that had LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, Minnesota won Game 1 at Crypto.com Arena and closed out the series in the same venue four games later. Then, in the second round, they sapped the life out of Chase Center when they defeated the Golden State Warriors in Games 4 and 5, en route to another gentleman's sweep.

This year, the Wolves started their playoff journey by taking a trek to the Mile High. Playing in Denver's high altitude has always been a challenge for visiting teams, but it was the Nuggets gasping for air as Edwards (30 points on 40.0% shooting) and five of his teammates finished with double-digit scoring in a Game 2 victory. This road win set the stage for the Wolves to eventually grab a 3-1 series lead; though Denver snuck in a second win in Game 5, the Jaden McDaniels night happened and Minnesota advanced to the second round once again.

On Monday, there were a lot of things that could have gone wrong for the Western Conference's sixth seed, including the risk of Edwards getting injured less than two weeks after he hyperextended his left knee. Yet, there he was, dropping an 18-3-3 stat line off the bench and making sure that Victor Wembanyama's 12-block triple-double would be overshadowed by the game's outcome.

Their base of operations was over a thousand miles away, but Edwards and his Timberwolves squad raced off to a 1-0 start. In a scary type of way, this band of road warriors felt right at home in San Antonio.