{"id":186876,"date":"2026-04-05T14:32:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T18:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=186876"},"modified":"2026-04-22T17:19:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T21:19:18","slug":"timberwolves-vs-hornets-preview-and-prediction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/04\/05\/timberwolves-vs-hornets-preview-and-prediction\/","title":{"rendered":"Timberwolves Vs Hornets: Preview And Prediction"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Charlotte Hornets face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on Sunday night will be one of the most fascinating late-season games left on the calendar. Charlotte arrives in Minneapolis riding exciting momentum, winners of three straight<\/a> and boasting a 20-8 record since the start of February. Minnesota, meanwhile, is stuck in a rut. Three losses in their last four games, \u00a0and a superstar in Anthony Edwards<\/a> who is nowhere near his best. Nevertheless, this matchup between the Hornets and Wolves will be an exciting one between two playoff teams.<\/p>\n

Timberwolves Vs Hornets: Preview And Prediction<\/h2>\n

Head coach Charles Lee has guided the Hornets to a 42-36 record and a winning season, something that felt impossible just a few months ago. Asked about clinching that milestone, Lee kept his feet firmly on the ground. “Really happy with that accomplishment,” he said.<\/a> “We’ll sit back and talk about it at the end of the season. Right now, this is still a group that’s getting better, that’s focused on trying to do so much more. The group is hungry. I’m hungry.”<\/p>\n

Charlotte’s Form<\/h3>\n

Charlotte has transformed since the start of 2026. Their 31-14 record over that stretch is the sixth-best in the NBA<\/a>, and their offensive quality has been staggering. \u00a0LaMelo Ball<\/a> orchestrates everything, Brandon Miller<\/a> brings consistent scoring, and Kon Knueppel<\/a>, who recently broke Kemba Walker<\/a>‘s franchise record for three-pointers in a single season, stretches defenses to their absolute limit. He also broke the rookie record for threes in a single season<\/a> as well.<\/p>\n

However, Charlotte does carry a weakness into this game. They average 15.4 turnovers per game<\/a>. That number becomes particularly dangerous against a Minnesota team that averages 8.7 steals<\/a> and 5.7 blocks<\/a> per game. The Timberwolves are one of the most disruptive defensive units in the league. Every loose ball, every sloppy pass, and every telegraphed drive will be punished.<\/p>\n

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Minnesota’s Struggles<\/h3>\n

Minnesota sits at 46-31, sixth in the Western Conference, but their recent form has been deeply concerning. They have won just one of their last four games and lost back-to-back road games. The Timberwolves have also been without Jaden McDaniels<\/a> for an extended period due to a left knee injury, stripping them of a key defensive wing.<\/p>\n

The bigger concern is Edwards. The franchise star is averaging 28.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists this season, but he is listed as questionable for Sunday with right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome. He has appeared in just two of Minnesota’s last nine games. When he did return against Philadelphia, he managed only 8 points on 3-of-15 shooting in 26 minutes,\u00a0 a performance far removed from his season-long standard. Even if he plays, the question is not whether Edwards will be on the court, but whether he will be anywhere close to full strength.<\/p>\n

There is also a strategic element worth noting. With Luka Doncic<\/a> expected to miss the opening round of the playoffs, Minnesota may not be fully motivated to climb higher in the standings, particularly if a better seed means a tougher first-round opponent. That lack of urgency, combined with their injury situation, makes the Timberwolves a more vulnerable opponent than their record suggests.<\/p>\n

Key Matchup – Charlotte’s Shooting Vs Minnesota’s Defense<\/h3>\n

This is where the game will be won or lost. Minnesota’s 8.7 steals and 5.7 blocks per game make them a nightmare for teams that are loose with the ball, and Charlotte’s 15.4 turnovers per game are a real vulnerability. On the other hand, Charlotte’s three-point barrage could stress even the Timberwolves’ defense. Minnesota struggles to guard off-ball movement at pace. When Knueppel and Miller find clean looks off Ball’s playmaking, they punish even the best defenses. If Charlotte limits their turnovers and hit their threes at the rate they have been recently, they have a genuine chance to win this game.<\/p>\n

Injuries And Suspensions<\/h3>\n

Minnesota Timberwolves<\/strong>: McDaniels is the only confirmed absence for the Minnesota Timberwolves, while Ed<\/span>wards is listed as questionable.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Charlotte Hornets<\/strong>: \u00a0PJ Hall<\/a> is out, and Moussa Diabate<\/a> is questionable<\/span><\/p>\n

Prediction<\/h3>\n

The Wolves-Hornets game is a fascinating clash of contrasting narratives. Minnesota has the home court, the defensive infrastructure, and a roster built for playoff basketball. Charlotte has the momentum, the shooting, and the hunger of a team that has everything to prove. With Edwards potentially not at full strength and McDaniels already out, the Timberwolves are not the imposing unit they were earlier in the season. In this bout, the Hornets should get the better of the Wolves.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Hornets To Win<\/b><\/strong>| Under 230.5<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tip-off: Sunday, April 5, 7:00 p.m. EST<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

Featured Image: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Charlotte Hornets face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on Sunday night will be one of the most fascinating late-season games left on the calendar. Charlotte arrives in Minneapolis riding exciting momentum, winners of three straight and boasting a 20-8 record since the start of February. Minnesota, meanwhile, is stuck in a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5766,"featured_media":186916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,7,62,50437],"tags":[2109,4731,2559,49839,823],"class_list":["post-186876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-hornets","category-nba","category-nba-predictions","tag-anthony-edwards","tag-brandon-miller","tag-jaden-mcdaniels","tag-kon-knueppel","tag-lamelo-ball"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5766"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=186876"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186876\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":186927,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186876\/revisions\/186927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=186876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=186876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=186876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}