There were a lot of teams in the Western Conference that headed into the NBA All-Star break on winning streaks. Competition remains highly competitive in the conference as teams are jockeying for positioning in the standings.
One of those teams riding a winning streak is the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves have won four games in a row, creating a little bit of cushion atop the Western Conference. At 39-16, they have the second-best record in the NBA and now hold a 1.5-game lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Minnesota has been playing great basketball, relying on its elite defense to help them smother opponents and win games. The Timberwolves are surrendering the fewest points per game, have the best defensive rating in the NBA and are second in net rating.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Chris Finch, NBA Power Rankings, Minnesota Timberwolves Updates
That production is now being reflected in recent NBA Power Rankings. In this week’s rankings by John Schuhmann of NBA.com, the Timberwolves were the biggest winners. Their jump up three spots, going from No. 5 to No. 2, was the largest in the league heading into the All-Star Break.
Minnesota earned that jump up the rankings as the only team that went 3-0 last week. The most impressive victory in that bunch was a 21-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers on the road, cementing their status as legitimate contenders in the league.
“The Wolves might have had the league’s strongest close to the pre-break schedule, going into All-Star with four straight road wins, including two by more than 20 points over the Bucks and Clippers…
The Wolves have the league’s most home-heavy remaining schedule, with 17 of their 27 games at the Target Center. They begin their post-break schedule with their longest homestand of the season (seven games over 11 days), though it includes three rest-disadvantage games, the first coming Saturday against Brooklyn,” wrote Shuhmann.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Chris Finch, NBA Power Rankings, Minnesota Timberwolves Updates
The Timberwolves aren’t just padding their stats against lower-echelon teams in the NBA. While they are dominating that level of opponent, Minnesota is getting the job done against teams competing for playoff spots as well.
As shared by Schuhmann, the Timberwolves are 23-11 this season when playing against the 18 teams who have a record above the .500 mark. That is an impressive mark, as Chris Finch’s bunch is rolling no matter who they are matched up against this season.
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