We're about to find out if the Timberwolves have what it takes
It may have taken longer than expected, but the Minnesota Timberwolves are at full strength.
Karl-Anthony Towns returned from a Grade 3 calf strain on Thursday night and Anthony Edwards is reportedly trending towards returning from an ankle injury as the Timberwolves face the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.
This game will be the first time that the Timberwolves will have their full starting lineup (outside of the mid-season departure of D'Angelo Russell) since November and will come at a time where they'll enter the toughest stretch of the season.
The Timberwolves enter Sunday's game in seventh place in the Western Conference and 1.5 games behind the Warriors for the sixth seed and a guaranteed spot in the NBA playoffs.
While the Timberwolves would currently be in line to host the first game in the play-in tournament, they're also in a three-way tie for seventh place with the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans.
Mix in the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz and there are six teams fighting for four play-in tournament spots with an outside shot of landing in the top six.
That's where Sunday's game comes into play. A win over the Warriors would make chasing the sixth seed a possibility while also gaining ground on the Clippers but Golden State is establishing its own momentum, winning its last three games including Friday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
With a loss, the Timberwolves would be trying to fight for a spot in the play-in tournament and that's where things get interesting.
The Timberwolves' three-game road trip will continue on Monday with a visit to the third-place Sacramento Kings and on Wednesday against the fourth-place Phoenix Suns. Then the Wolves return to Minnesota for what could be an even bigger game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
From there, the Timberwolves will wrap up their season with a home game against the Trail Blazers, road games against the Brooklyn Nets and San Antonio Spurs and an Apr. 9 matchup with the Pelicans which could determine play-in tournament positioning or even a win-or-go-home scenario for the Timberwolves.
Being full strength for this stretch is a benefit for the Wolves, but it's also important to remember that they were 10-11 when Towns injured his calf on Nov. 28. Thursday's win over the Atlanta Hawks was also marred with defensive rotation issues, which will have to be cleaned up for a playoff push.
Either way, the Timberwolves' most important stretch of the season begins in San Francisco Sunday night and it could determine whether the Timberwolves make their first back-to-back playoff appearances in 20 years.
