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Clippers vs. Timberwolves Play-in Matchup Set
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It took until the last few days of the season to become official, but the LA Clippers will be taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first play-in game. The NBA announced on Thursday morning that the 7th vs. 8th play-in game will take place on April 12th. With the Timberwolves officially locked into 7th, and the Clippers officially locked into 8th, that game will take place in Minnesota.
The storylines for this game are intriguing, as the Timberwolves will be facing a much better version of the Clippers than the one they saw earlier in the season. Having added Norman Powell and Robert Covington at the deadline, and having just gotten Paul George back from injury, the Clippers will enter this matchup with the best possible roster they can field without Kawhi Leonard.
While the Minnesota Timberwolves did not make any midseason roster moves, they too are a much better team than the one the Clippers went 3-1 against earlier this season. With each Clippers vs. Timberwolves matchup coming before the All-Star break, neither team has seen the other in a while. Since the break, Minnesota has the 5th best record in basketball, and has truly separated themselves from the rest of the play-in pool.
The Clippers are playing some good basketball as well, using these last few games to gain continuity and momentum entering the play-in game. Now that they officially have an opponent, they can shift their focus entirely on Minnesota between now and April 12th. After dealing Patrick Beverley in the offseason, the Clippers will have to go through him and Karl Anthony-Towns in order to avoid a win or go home situation.
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