When are the Timberwolves playing next? Minnesota eliminates Golden State in five games

On Wednesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves delivered the knockout blow to the Golden State Warriors and officially punched their ticket to the Western Conference Finals with a dominant 121-110 win that sealed the series 4-1.

The Wolves controlled the game from the opening tip, proving they’re better prepared right now to take on challenges of this magnitude. The Warriors, despite their strong play late in the regular season, were not the same after Stephen Curry’s injury and never looked competitive in the semifinals.

As usual, Anthony Edwards set the tone for Minnesota with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 12 assists. But he wasn’t alone — Julius Randle added 29 points, Rudy Gobert chipped in 17, and Mike Conley Jr. contributed 16.

Now, the Timberwolves are waiting to find out who their next opponent will be. In the other semifinal matchup, the Oklahoma City Thunder lead the series 3-2 over the Denver Nuggets, with Game 6 set for Thursday at Ball Arena. One more win for OKC would close out the series, while Nikola Jokic’s team will look to force a decisive Game 7 back at Paycom Center on Sunday.

Chris Finch is leading the Timberwolves to a deep playoff run

That outcome will determine the start date for the Western Conference Finals. Minnesota won’t know exactly when they’ll play their next postseason game until Game 6 between the Nuggets and Thunder is in the books.

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According to the official NBA website, the Western Conference Finals are scheduled to begin Tuesday, May 20. However, if both semifinal series wrap up before a Game 7 is necessary, Game 1 of the West Finals could be moved up to Sunday, May 18.

Since the Timberwolves finished sixth in the regular season standings, they know they’ll begin the Conference Finals on the road — regardless of who they face. Both Oklahoma City (1st) and Denver (4th) hold home-court advantage over Minnesota.

Still, that won’t dampen the motivation for Chris Finch’s team, who now find themselves on the doorstep of history. This will be the franchise’s third trip to the Western Conference Finals, following appearances in 2004 and 2024. On those occasions, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks, respectively. Now, they have a new opportunity — and they’ll be determined to make the most of it.