The Minnesota Timberwolves now have the edge they need to make the postseason, but they still have a lot at stake when they play the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday afternoon in Austin, Texas.
The Timberwolves (40-40) are in ninth place in the Western Conference after two regular-season games, putting them in the running for the play-in tournament.
The Timberwolves would not fall below the ninth seed even if they lose their last two games, but they still have a chance to rise in the seedings if they win and other results favor them.
Minnesota has been off since Tuesday, when they procured a key 107-102 street prevail upon the Brooklyn Nets. After Saturday’s down, the Timberwolves will fly home for a Sunday evening season-finishing game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points, including two late-game free throws that broke a tie and brought the Timberwolves’ three-game losing streak to an end. Anthony Edwards had a team-high 23 points against Brooklyn.
Towns returned from a game against Portland in which he made just three shots and the Timberwolves lost with 14 rebounds.
After a strong final quarter in their 129-127 victory over Portland on Thursday, the Spurs return to their home away from home for the second game of a two-game set in Austin. San Antonio won thanks to 25 points from Keita Bates-Diop, 10 of which came in the game-clinching final quarter.
The Spurs remained one game ahead of the Houston Rockets, who are currently in last place, with their second victory in three games.
The Spurs (21-59) were led by Keldon Johnson and Julian Champagnie, who each scored 24 points. Zach Collins had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Tre Jones had 18 points and 10 assists.
The team’s G-League franchise’s home, Moody Center in Austin, was the venue for their first NBA game on Thursday.
The Spurs followed by nine preceding a 13-0 run keyed by Bates-Diop’s consecutive 3-pointers pivoted the game. A record-breaking 16,023 people attended the game, which was sold out for a team that typically plays 80 miles away.
The Spurs were able to hold on thanks to 18 offensive rebounds and a season-high 33 second-chance points.
This season, San Antonio has won two of the three games it has played against the Timberwolves, but all three of those games were in October.
