The Minnesota Timberwolves earned the right to play the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs following their victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Play-In contest. Minnesota battled to get the win, as center Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out early, though it didn't stop the team from mounting an incredible fourth-quarter comeback to secure their first playoff berth since the 2017-2018 season.
The win over the Clippers wasn't easy. Unfortunately for Minnesota, the NBA Playoff matchup against the Grizzlies won't be easy either. Led by rising star Ja Morant, Memphis roared to a 56-26 record, good for the second-best record in the Western Conference. While the Timberwolves have the better 1-2 punch, the Grizzlies just might have the best player on the floor in Morant, who clearly isn't backing down from any potential challenges coming his way.
It promises to be a good series between two teams that have both bright presents and futures in the West. Here's why the Timberwolves will shock the NBA world and keep their run going against the Grizzlies.
Click here for odds on the Timberwolves-Grizzlies first-round series, courtesy of FanDuel.
3 Reasons Timberwolves Will Upset Grizzlies
3. The Timberwolves have momentum
It looked like Minnesota would be going home early against the Clippers, though the team showed toughness and resiliency in fighting back to secure the game in the fourth quarter. Those are the kinds of traits that can help a team advance far into the NBA Playoffs. No one is expecting a championship run from these Timberwolves, though they have the talent to certainly pull off an upset against Memphis. It will only serve to help the young Wolves that they are already battle-tested entering the playoffs. That can be a powerful source of momentum.
2. Karl-Anthony Towns will be motivated
Towns, who scored just 11 points while fouling out against the Clippers, wasn't even close to performing at the level that Minnesota fans are accustomed to seeing. Luckily for the star big man, teammates Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell were there to pick up the slack. Still, that's not a performance that is sitting well with Towns, who dismissed the notion that Los Angeles' game plan “worked” against him. Whether it did or not, one can bet that the do-it-all big man will be motivated to put forth a better showing against the Grizzlies. With 16 30-point games in the regular season, Towns has the capability to completely take over a game- and potentially a series. He also has the motivation to do so as well.
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1. Patrick Beverley will slow down Ja Morant
There's no stopping Ja Morant. However, if there's any team that has been capable of slowing him down this season, it's the Timberwolves. Morant shot just 7-for-25 in his last regular season outing against Minnesota, then preceded that with 5-for-16 and 3-for-9 shooting performances from the field against the Wolves. Minnesota can put feisty guard Patrick Beverley, who has been around the block, on Morant in an attempt to get in his head. Clearly, the Timberwolves did something right in the regular season. Can they do it again in the playoffs?
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