Look, everyone is already obsessing over the Lakers Timberwolves playoff schedule, but we need to take a massive step back and look at the actual standings. Right now, it's mid-January 2026. If the season ended this second, the Minnesota Timberwolves would be sitting at the No. 4 seed with a 27-14 record. The Los Angeles Lakers? They're right on their heels at No. 5, sporting a 24-14 record.
Basically, we are looking at a collision course.
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If you're trying to circle dates on your calendar for a Round 1 matchup, you're looking at the NBA Playoffs starting on April 18, 2026. That's the big day. But there is a lot of basketball left to play before LeBron James and Anthony Edwards officially trade haymakers in a seven-game series.
The Current Western Conference Reality
The West is a meat grinder. The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently running away with the top spot, leaving everyone else to fight for home-court advantage. Minnesota has been surprisingly consistent. Anthony Edwards is playing like a man possessed, averaging over 27 points per game. On the other side, the Lakers are doing that thing they always do—hanging around, staying healthy enough, and leaning on Austin Reaves, who has been playing like an All-Star lately.
Remember that game on October 29? Reaves dropped 28 points and 16 assists to steal a 116-115 win in Minneapolis. It was a statement. It showed that even if the Timberwolves have the size with Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle, the Lakers have the backcourt wizardry to make them pay.
Predicting the Lakers Timberwolves Playoff Schedule
Since the seedings aren't locked, we can't give you "Game 1: 8:00 PM on TNT" just yet. However, we know how the NBA operates.
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- April 12, 2026: The regular season ends.
- April 14–17, 2026: The Play-In Tournament. If the Lakers or Wolves slide to 7th or 8th, they'll be here. Honestly, the way they're playing, they'll likely avoid this stress.
- April 18, 2026: The First Round begins.
If the 4 vs. 5 matchup holds, Minnesota gets home-court advantage. That means Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 would be at the Target Center. Games 3, 4, and 6 would be at Crypto.com Arena.
The travel alone is a factor. Flying between Minneapolis and LA isn't the worst in the league, but those late-night Pacific Time starts for a Game 3 in Los Angeles always mess with the biological clocks of teams coming from the Midwest.
Why This Matchup is Different in 2026
Last year, the Timberwolves sent the Lakers home in five games. It wasn't particularly close. Rudy Gobert was a monster in that Game 5, putting up 27 points and 24 rebounds.
But this is a different Lakers squad. They've integrated Luka Doncic—yeah, don't forget that's a thing now—and the chemistry between him and LeBron is finally clicking. In their matchups this season, the Lakers have looked much more equipped to handle Minnesota's length.
Television and Broadcast Expectations
You can bet your house that a Lakers-Wolves series will be prime-time. We’re talking ESPN, ABC, and TNT. With the new media deal in full swing, you might even see some of these games streaming on Peacock or Amazon Prime Video.
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The NBA loves the "Old Guard vs. New Guard" narrative. LeBron James entering what feels like his 50th postseason against the face of the league's future, Anthony Edwards? That is a ratings goldmine. Expect the Lakers Timberwolves playoff schedule to be stacked with weekend afternoon slots on ABC to capture the casual audience.
Keys to the Series
- Rebounding: Can the Lakers keep Gobert off the glass? 24 rebounds in a playoff game is embarrassing for an opponent. Anthony Davis has to be more than a floor spacer; he has to be a vacuum.
- Backcourt Depth: Mike Conley is 38 now. He’s still smart, but can he chase Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic for 40 minutes? Unlikely.
- The Edwards Factor: Ant-Man averaged 43 points in a game against the Lakers last April. If he does that again, the schedule won't matter because it'll be a short series.
Moving Toward the Postseason
While we wait for the official bracket to drop in April, keep an eye on the head-to-head tiebreakers. The Lakers and Wolves still have dates on the calendar that will determine who gets that crucial 4th seed.
If you're planning a trip to see these games live, start looking at hotels in downtown Minneapolis for mid-to-late April. The atmosphere at Target Center has become one of the loudest in the league, a far cry from the "Timber-pups" era of a decade ago.
Monitor the injury reports for Julius Randle and Anthony Davis as we hit the All-Star break in Los Angeles (February 13-15). Those two are the X-factors. If both are healthy, we are in for a classic.
To stay ahead of the curve, track the Western Conference standings weekly and set alerts for "NBA playoff tickets" starting in late March. Once the regular season finale on April 12 concludes, the league usually releases the full Round 1 schedule within 24 hours.