Timberwolves Facing Costly Slide as Tiebreakers Turn Against Them

With Anthony Edwards ruled out Tuesday night for the showdown between the Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns, Minnesota is in danger of not winning any of the key tiebreakers that could determine playoff seeds in the Western Conference.

Minnesota has already lost tiebreakers to the Lakers, Nuggets, and Suns, and they're in danger of cementing themselves behind the Rockets and Clippers if they wind up tied with either of them after 82 games.

Fortunately, the Clippers are highly unlikely to catch the Wolves. Entering play Tuesday, Minnesota (41-27) is in sixth place in the West. They have the same record as Denver (41-27), but the Nuggets won three of four over the Wolves to put themselves in fifth place.

The Rockets (41-26), who are 1-0 against Minnesota with two matchups to go, are a half-game ahead of Minnesota and in fourth place.

The Lakers (43-25) are two games in front of the Wolves, whom they swept 3-0 this season.

The Suns (39-29), meanwhile, are in seventh place and only two games behind Minnesota. Phoenix is 2-0 against the Wolves, and with Tuesday's game the last regular-season meeting between the two, they've already clinched the tiebreaker. That's why a win for Minnesota, to increase the gap to three games with time running out in the regular season, is so big.

Lakers: 0-3

• Oct. 24: 128-110 (Lakers)
• Oct. 29: 116-115 (Lakers)
• Mar. 10: 120-106 (Lakers)

Nuggets: 1-3

• Oct. 27: 127-114 (Nuggets)
• Nov. 15: 123-112 (Nuggets)
• Dec. 25: 142-138 (Nuggets)
• Mar. 1: 117-108 (Wolves)

Suns: 0-2

• Nov. 21: 114-113 (Suns)
• Dec. 8: 108-105 (Suns)
• Mar. 17: Suns at Wolves

Rockets: 0-1

• Jan. 16: 110-105 (Rockets)
• Mar. 25: Rockets at Wolves
• Apr. 10: Wolves at Rockets

Clippers: 2-2

• Dec. 6: 109-106 (Wolves)
• Feb. 8: 115-96 (Clippers)
• Feb. 26: 94-88 (Wolves)
• Mar. 11: 153-128 (Clippers)

With 14 games remaining, Minnesota is almost certainly going to finish third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh in the Western Conference. The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have all but secured the top two seeds, and Minnesota would have to completely collapse to let the Clippers (34-34) catch them.

The bottom line is that Minnesota can do itself a massive favor by finishing third in the West, which means they need a hot finish to avoid a tiebreaker that drops them down a seed or two (or three).

Remember, getting the No. 3 seed is big because it would ensure the Wolves don't see the No. 1 Thunder until the conference finals. No. 4 would still be good since it comes with home-court advantage in the first round, but it could mean a matchup with Oklahoma City in the second round.