Timberwolves Vs Trail Blazers preview: Wolves head to Moda Center after 135-point loss at home
The Minnesota Timberwolves will play the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on February 24th, 2026, at 9: 00 PM CST in a matchup listed as timberwolves vs trail blazers; Minnesota arrives after a lopsided home loss that reshuffled the Western Conference picture.
Timberwolves Vs Trail Blazers at Moda Center
The game is scheduled for 9: 00 PM CST at Moda Center on February 24th, 2026. Television coverage is listed as Peacock, and radio coverage is listed as KFAN FM, Wolves App and iHeart Radio. Minnesota had beaten Portland before the All-Star break; the rest of that sentence in the provided context is unclear in the provided context.
How the Wolves stumbled in Philadelphia
Minnesota was beaten 27 points by the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday at home, surrendering 135 points in the loss. The Sixers made 21 threes on 37 attempts and shot 57 percent from beyond the arc, while Minnesota went 10-for-33 from three — a 33-point differential from three-point shooting alone that the preview called a defensive collapse.
Injuries, suspension and rotation issues
Rudy Gobert was suspended after the Marvin Bagley flagrant, and Naz Reid was out with shoulder soreness; Julius Randle was apparently under the weather but gave it a go. The preview noted that removing Gobert and Naz removes size, the defensive backbone and a key offensive release valve, and described the Wolves as undersized without their Defensive Player of the Year center.
Why the loss matters for the standings and the trip ahead
Denver lost, the Lakers lost and Houston stumbled, opening a chance for Minnesota to move into a tie for the 3-seed in the West. Instead, the preview said the Wolves are staring at the 6-seed again and play-in territory. The West was described as jam-packed, with the margin razor thin: Denver dropped to Golden State, the Lakers fell to Boston, and Houston stumbled against New York on Saturday. Minnesota’s next stretch on the schedule listed in the context is Portland, then the Clippers in L. A., then a final showdown with Denver on March 1.
Turnovers in defense and what the team must fix
The preview pinned the loss less on post dominance or paint bullying and more on perimeter breakdown: closeouts were late, rotations sluggish and shooters wide open. Philadelphia was on the second night of a back-to-back, yet Tyrese Maxey and company got comfortable early and the Sixers were getting clean looks in rhythm. The preview warned that when the Wolves trade baskets instead of defending they do not have the offensive consistency to win 135-130 style games.
The context noted a clear path back to contention: if Minnesota strings together three wins on this trip — Portland, the Clippers in L. A. and Denver on March 1 — they would likely leapfrog Denver and be back in the mix for the 3-seed. That immediate sequence of road games is the next confirmed stretch on the schedule listed in the provided context.
