The No. 7 seed in the West is on the line when the Wolves take on the Lakers in the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament.
Here's how the Play-In Tournament works and a quick breakdown of Minnesota's game against Los Angeles on Tuesday.
What is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
According to the NBA, the Play-In Tournament "will determine the teams that fill the seventh and eighth playoff seeds in each conference for the 2023 NBA Playoffs."
"The team with the seventh-highest winning percentage in its conference will host the team with the eighth-highest winning percentage in the same conference. The winning team will be the seventh seed in the NBA Playoffs for its conference. The losing team will still have a chance to earn the eighth seed in the NBA Playoffs for its conference."
What seed will the Wolves get if they beat the Lakers?
The Wolves finished the regular season with the 8th best record in the West. The Lakers finished 7th.
If the Wolves beat the Lakers in the Play-In, they will clinch the 7th seed in the West and face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
What happens if the Wolves lose to the Lakers?
If the Wolves lose to the Lakers, they will play in another NBA Play-In Tournament game at Target Center on Friday, April 14.
Here's how the NBA explains this game:
"In each conference, the teams losing on April 11 will host the winning teams from April 12. The winning team of of this game will be the eighth seed in the NBA Playoffs for its conference. The losing team will be eliminated."
That second Play-In game will be a matchup against the winner of the other Play-In game in the West, which features the New Orleans Pelicans (9th seed) and Oklahoma City Thunder (10th seed). The Thunder play the Pelicans in New Orleans on Wednesday, April 12.
Since the Wolves finished the regular season with a better record than the Thunder and Pelicans, they will host this potential second Play-In game.
The winner of this second Play-In game will be the 8th seed in the West and will face the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Wolves vs. Lakers start time, TV channel, radio
- Date: Tuesday, April 11
- Time: 9 PM CT
- Location: Crypto.com Arena | Los Angeles, CA
- TV channel: TNT
- Radio: 102.9 The Wolf
A national televised game, the Wolves will face the Lakers in the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament on TNT at 9 PM CT on Tuesday, April 11.
A live radio broadcast of the game can heard at 102.9 The Wolf starting at 9 PM CT.
When do the NBA Playoffs start?
The NBA Playoffs start on Saturday, April 15.