Nuggets, Lakers, or Rockets? Wolves' First-Round Opponent Still Not Settled

Locked into the No. 6 seed, the Minnesota Timberwolves still don't know who they'll face in the first round of the playoffs, which begin Saturday, April 18.

The favorite to earn the No. 3 seed and host Minnesota in a best-of-seven series is Denver, but the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are both only one game behind the Nuggets entering the final three days of the regular season.

The picture is muddied a bit with Denver announcing that star players Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon are all questionable for Friday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jokic is listed for right wrist injury management, while Murray is dealing with right shoulder impingement, and Gordon is cited for right hamstring injury management.

The Thunder, having secured the No. 1 seed, are resting all of their key players Friday night: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, and Jaylin Williams.

The Lakers host the Suns on Friday night after beating the Warriors on Thursday night. Winning on the second night of a back-to-back without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, who are both injured, isn't easy, but the Suns could make it easier if they hold out key players. Devin Booker (right ankle injury management), Jordan Goodwin (left ankle sprain), and Haywood Highsmith (right knee injury management) are all out for the game, while Jalen Green (right knee soreness) is questionable.

The Suns are locked into the play-in tournament, and their position can't change over the final two games, meaning there's a good chance they rest key players ahead of the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Wolves play at Houston on Friday night, and they're likely going to rest their most valuable assets. Rudy Gobert (rest) is already ruled out, while Anthony Edwards (right knee injury maintenance), Ayo Dosunmu (right calf injury maintenance), Julius Randle (right hand soreness), and Bones Hyland (right hip soreness) are questionable.

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said Friday morning on KFAN radio that they're going to use the next week-plus to "get healthy and stay healthy." That's an indicator that stars will rest, or play minimal minutes, in the last two games.

The Rockets have a clean bill of health, so they'll be heavily favored to beat Minnesota Friday night.

If the Lakers and Rockets win Friday, and the Nuggets lose, all three will be tied ahead of the final day of the regular season on Sunday, when the Nuggets play at San Antonio, the Lakers host Utah, and the Rockets host Memphis.

Tiebreakers could become paramount. The Lakers win if there's a three-way tie, and they also own individual tiebreakers over Denver and Houston. Denver owns a tiebreaker over Houston. The Rockets cannot win a tiebreaker in any manner.

All in all, Minnesota could still face the Nuggets, Lakers, or Rockets, and we might not get an answer until Sunday.

The Lakers are the team everyone probably wants to face, solely because Doncic and Reaves could miss the entire first round (and beyond) of the playoffs. That makes them a punching bag and damn near a free pass to the second round.

Finch says they'll use the next week to prepare for whoever they get in the first round, while shedding the dark feelings associated with a less-than-ideal finish to the regular season.

"Listen, getting qualified for the playoffs for the fifth year in a row, no matter how we got here, it was something we don't take for granted. This is a hard, hard business. We have been inconsistent at times," Finch said on KFAN. "We own that, at times, we've looked bored throughout the regular season. It's time for us to change that mindset and attack these playoffs with all of the opportunity that is there for us."