Minnesota is looking for a fresh start.
The Minnesota Timberwolves wrapped up the 2025-26 regular season on Sunday with a 132-126 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, and while the game was mostly about resting starters, the mood in the locker room told a different story.
Minnesota finished 49-33, locked into the sixth seed in the West, and now the focus shifts to what comes next.
Individual Goals Are Done
Donte DiVincenzo, who played in Sunday's finale while most of the team's core sat out, made it pretty clear where his head is at heading into the postseason.
"All accolades and individual things are out the window," DiVincenzo said after the game. "It's all about just trying to get four wins... We're really connected and we're going to try to sneak one on the road."
That mindset matters for a team heading into a first-round matchup against the Denver Nuggets, who finished 54-28 as the third seed and won the season series 3-1.
The Wolves open the series at Ball Arena on Saturday, and stealing a game in Denver could go a long way toward making this competitive.
DiVincenzo's Steady Season
DiVincenzo stepped into the starting lineup this year after replacing Mike Conley, and he held it down all season.
He averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists across 78 games while connecting on 3.0 three-pointers per contest and adding 1.3 steals per game.
He wasn't always flashy, and there were stretches where his shot went cold, but he brought consistency and toughness to a backcourt that needed it alongside Anthony Edwards.
His ability to defend, knock down threes and create for others gave Minnesota a different look compared to last season, and that versatility becomes even more valuable when the playoffs slow everything down.
Why Minnesota Can Be Dangerous
The Timberwolves have been here before.
They reached the Western Conference Finals in both 2024 and 2025, so playoff experience is something this group has plenty of.
Anthony Edwards put together a career-best regular season with 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, and while the right knee issues that kept him out of 11 of the final 14 games are worth watching, the expectation is that he'll be ready for Game 1.
Beyond Edwards, Rudy Gobert anchors one of the league's best defenses with 10.9 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, and Julius Randle gives them another scorer who can operate in the post and from mid-range.
The depth showed up throughout the season too, with Terrence Shannon Jr. and Ayo Dosunmu stepping up whenever Edwards was unavailable and keeping the team's record from falling apart.
Denver is the favorite, and rightfully so with Nikola Jokic playing the way he has all year.
But DiVincenzo's comments capture how the Wolves are approaching it. No one is worried about stats or recognition anymore.
They just want four wins, and they believe they're connected enough to go get them.