Final two games will determine Timberwolves' postseason position

AUSTIN, Texas – The Timberwolves will close their regular season with a back-to-back set of games against the Spurs here, and then at home against the Pelicans.

Given their precarious position in the Western Conference standings, the Wolves will likely need to win both to avoid the No. 9 seed and have two cracks at a play-in game next week to make the playoffs.

The last time they played in a back-to-back scenario, Karl-Anthony Towns rested on the second game as he was working back from his right calf injury. This time will be different, it appears, as both Towns and coach Chris Finch said the plan is for Towns to play in both games.

"We got to get these two, so I'm gonna be a go," Towns said after Friday's practice.

Added Finch: "The goal was to have him ready to play in this back to back. We've been pushing his minutes out as much as we possibly can. And yeah, so the goal is to have him ready to play in both games. But we'll just have to see and make sure there's nothing alarming after the first game."

The busy 24 hours begins with Saturday's tipoff against the Spurs, who have moved a few of their home games to different venues in Texas, hence why the Wolves are in Austin. Then Sunday, the Wolves will play the Pelicans in a matchup that could be for the No. 8 seed.

One of the team's most glaring flaws is preventing them from finishing higher in the standings, a flaw that could show up again Saturday.

"Obviously you just walk through the importance of these two games for us [with the team]," Finch said. "Some of the scenarios, you can't possibly predict them all. For us to still finish in the best place possible, we got to get two wins."

San Antonio has already defeated the Wolves two of three times this season, all in October. The Wolves never shook their habit of falling to teams they should beat more often than not, and their season could be a lot different right now with even just a few more wins against those squads. The Wolves' most recent loss came against a tanking Portland team that was resting a significant amount of its top players.

Finch said he would be emphasizing the need for a faster beginning to the game, which he felt was a glaring problem against the Trail Blazers.

"We need to focus on a better start," Finch said. "I think some of these, like the Portland game was a soft start. We need a really purposeful, determined start."

Towns said Saturday will be one of the last chances the Wolves have to show they have grown as a team. At least in this area, they haven't yet.