Timberwolves Vs Trail Blazers preview: Wolves head to Portland after 135-point loss
The timberwolves vs trail blazers matchup on Feb. 24 lines up the 35-23 Minnesota Timberwolves against the 28-30 Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center, with a 9: 00 p. m. CST tip (10: 00 p. m. ET). The game arrives after Minnesota suffered a 135-point loss and faces roster questions heading into Portland.
Timberwolves Vs Trail Blazers: where things stand
Minnesota comes into Moda Center following a lopsided home defeat to Philadelphia, a night in which the Wolves gave up 135 points. The loss left the team staring at the margins in the Western Conference; earlier losses by Denver, the Lakers and Houston had opened a path to the 3-seed that evaporated when Minnesota was shellacked in its arena. The Timberwolves are missing Rudy Gobert (suspended after the Marvin Bagley flagrant) and Naz Reid (out with shoulder soreness), and Julius Randle was listed as under the weather but did play that night. Portland enters the game with a 28-30 record; this will be the third meeting between the clubs this season.
Three-point breakdown and immediate issues for Minnesota
The defining detail of the Wolves' loss was perimeter defense: Philadelphia hit 21 three-pointers on 37 attempts (57 percent from deep), while Minnesota went 10-for-33 from beyond the arc. That 33-point differential from three-point shooting showed up in the final margin and highlighted the specific defensive lapses Minnesota must fix in transition to Portland. With Gobert sidelined and Reid out, Minnesota lost interior size and a defensive anchor, which contributed to late closeouts and open looks from distance.
How to watch and what to expect in Portland
The game is scheduled for Feb. 24 at Moda Center with television coverage on Peacock and radio coverage on KFAN FM, the Wolves App and iHeart Radio. Tip is 9: 00 p. m. CST (10: 00 p. m. ET). Damian Lillard is out for the season with an Achilles injury for Portland, a roster detail that affects matchups and rotation decisions for both teams. Minnesota beat Portland earlier in the season and again just before the All-Star break; the Wolves will aim to translate that result into a road win to stop the slide in the standings.
Standings implications are immediate: Minnesota could have been in position to tie for the 3-seed after recent losses by other West contenders, but the loss at home put the Wolves back toward play-in territory. If Minnesota strings together wins on this road trip, the team could climb the standings; the schedule immediately after Portland includes a game against the Clippers in Los Angeles and a final showdown with Denver on March 1.
Next up: the Timberwolves travel to Portland for the Feb. 24 game at Moda Center, then head to Los Angeles to face the Clippers before meeting Denver on March 1.
