Minnesota Timberwolves at Utah Jazz
Date: January 20th, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM CST
Location: Delta Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network – North
Radio Coverage: Wolves App, iHeart Radio
The Timberwolves limp out of their Texas two-step having stumbled twice, once in Houston, once in San Antonio, and the standings, as always, offer zero sympathy. On paper, it’s two losses. In reality, it’s a little more complicated than that, and also a little more frustrating than it needed to be.
Friday night in Houston was the kind of game that should age well in hindsight and still feels annoying in the moment. Minnesota was without Anthony Edwards, facing a Rockets team with Kevin Durant very much doing Kevin Durant things, and still found itself with every opportunity to steal one on the road. The Wolves defended well early, pushed the pace, generated good looks, and turned Houston misses into transition opportunities. And then the second half arrived, the rhythm disappeared, the whistles multiplied, and Minnesota calmly lit 15 points on fire at the free-throw line. In a five-point loss. That’s not bad luck. That’s self-sabotage.
Saturday in San Antonio somehow managed to be even more exhausting. Without Rudy Gobert, Minnesota spotted the Spurs a 48-point second quarter and found itself staring at a 25-point deficit against Victor Wembanyama on his home floor. That should have been the end of it. Instead, the Wolves did the thing they’ve quietly been doing more often lately. They refused to die. They clawed all the way back, briefly took the lead, and turned what should have been a blowout into a one-possession game in the final minutes. Moral victory? Sure. But moral victories don’t move you up the standings.
And the standings matter. After grinding all January to climb back into the conversation, Minnesota now finds itself two and a half games behind San Antonio and two games behind Denver. The hill they spent weeks climbing just got steeper again. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that the Wolves are still very much alive, and the next five games represent a stretch that serious teams are supposed to handle without drama. Utah on Tuesday. Then home dates against Chicago, followed by a two-game set with Golden State at Target Center, before heading back to Texas for Dallas. Five games that range from manageable to very winnable. Five games that will tell us whether this past weekend was a blip… or the start of a slide.
Which brings us to Utah, the first stop in a much-needed reset.
Keys to the Game
#1 – Take this seriously, immediately.
This is the kind of game where the opponent doesn’t beat you — you beat yourself. Utah does not have the firepower, depth, or defensive presence to match Minnesota if the Wolves show up with purpose. We’ve already seen this matchup end in a 40-point demolition earlier this season. That wasn’t an accident. The only way this becomes uncomfortable is if Minnesota comes out flat, sloppy, or mentally checked out after a draining weekend. This is about professionalism. About urgency. About recognizing that dropping games like this is how promising seasons quietly derail. The Wolves should come out looking to end this by halftime.
#2 – Win on the perimeter so the paint takes care of itself.
When Minnesota spirals defensively, it usually starts on the wings. Lazy closeouts. Straight-line drives. Over-helping that leads to open threes. That can’t happen here. Utah only survives if you give them clean looks early and allows them to stick around in a game that they shouldn’t be in. If Rudy Gobert is back, great. Let him patrol the paint. But the wings, McDaniels, Edwards, and Clark, have to do their jobs first. Good perimeter defense makes everything else easier.
#3 – Bigs, be grown-ups.
Gobert’s status matters. Naz Reid’s shoulder matters. But regardless of who’s available, Minnesota’s frontcourt has a clear advantage in this matchup and needs to play like it. Utah isn’t built to punish you inside, but they will hang around if you don’t control the glass and finish possessions. If minutes open up, keep giving Joan Beringer run. He’s earned it, and the experience matters. Championship teams don’t wait until April to figure out who they trust.
#4 – Make the free throws. Period.
This shouldn’t still be a conversation, but here we are. Houston was a clinic in how to waste an otherwise solid road performance. These are free points. The Wolves have already watched a handful of games slip away at the line. You don’t get to keep doing that and call yourself a contender. This is a fix-the-basics moment.
#5 – Let Anthony Edwards remind everyone who he is.
Ant’s 55-point eruption in San Antonio wasn’t just a scoring binge. It was a signal flare. This is what the leap looks like. This is what it sounds like when a star kicks the door down instead of knocking. Utah has been one of Edwards’ favorite opponents, and Minnesota badly needs the emotional reset that only a dominant Ant performance can provide. This isn’t about style points. It’s about reestablishing order. About turning two frustrating losses into a footnote instead of a turning point.
This should be a win. No qualifiers. No excuses. The Wolves have the talent edge, the urgency, and the opportunity. Championship-caliber teams don’t overthink games like this. They bank them, snap losing streaks, and move on.
Do that here, and suddenly the Texas stumble becomes a speed bump instead of a warning sign. Do that here, and the path back toward the two or three seed is still wide open. This is how momentum is rebuilt — not with speeches or promises, but with decisive nights against teams you’re better than.
Handle Utah. Then we can talk about the rest.
