Minnesota Timberwolves at Chicago Bulls
Date: December 31st, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM CST
Location: State Farm Arena
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network – North
Radio Coverage: Wolves App, iHeart Radio
The Wolves Finally Woke Up. Now It’s Time to Close 2025 the Right Way in Atlanta
After the most abysmal performance of the season, that lifeless no-show against Brooklyn to close out the year at Target Center, the Timberwolves badly needed a wake-up call. And if you listened to the postgame comments from Chris Finch and Anthony Edwards, you would’ve sworn the message landed. They
talked about taking lesser opponents seriously. About starting games with intensity. About defending. About not playing with their food.
And then the game in Chicago tipped off and the Wolves immediately smashed the snooze button.
What followed was a fifth consecutive quarter of sleepy, low-energy, half-interested basketball that looked disturbingly similar to the Brooklyn mess. The defense was optional. The offense was stuck in neutral. And halfway through the second quarter, Minnesota found itself trailing by nine.
It was maddening.
At that point, Wolves fans everywhere were doing that quiet internal negotiation: Here we go again. They’ll sleepwalk until the fourth, then try to flip the switch and hope for the best. Chicago, meanwhile, looked perfectly happy to keep taking what Minnesota was giving them.
But the thing about the snooze button is that it doesn’t take long until it jolts you awake again.
Anthony Edwards came back in during the second quarter and decided the nap was over. He attacked the rim with purpose. He drilled threes with confidence. He bent the game in half by himself. And just like that, what looked like another stressful fourth-quarter grind turned into a runaway.
From there, Minnesota did something that hasn’t always come naturally to this group: they smelled blood and kept attacking.
Yes, Chicago lost Coby White early and eventually Josh Giddey in the third, which clearly kneecapped their offense. But the Wolves didn’t fall into the trap of coasting against a weakened opponent. They tightened up defensively, protected the paint, and kept pouring it on. Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo caught absolute fire from three. Minnesota finished the night shooting 41% from deep. And while shooting 76% from the free-throw line isn’t exactly champagne-worthy, after recent disasters, it actually felt like progress.
The result was exactly what this team needed: a get-right game, a blowout win, Johnny Juzang and Leonard Miller minutes, and, most importantly, no three-game skid.
Now comes the final chapter of 2025.
The Wolves head to Georgia, Anthony Edwards’ home state, to face the Hawks on New Year’s Eve. It will also be Minnesota’s first look at Nickeil Alexander-Walker in an opposing uniform, a player this roster has quietly missed every time ball-handling, perimeter defense, or glue-guy energy disappeared for long stretches. With the Wolves sitting just 2.5 games out of the No. 2 seed despite all the chaos, this is a game they absolutely have to have if they want to flip the calendar with momentum.
So with that, here are the keys to the game.
#1: Keep Up the Intensity
The Wolves finally found their pulse in the second quarter against Chicago. That surge of energy completely changed the trajectory of the game, and now the challenge is carrying that level of urgency with them into Atlanta. We’ve seen too many sloppy Wolves–Hawks games in recent years full of wild momentum swings, blown leads, yo-yo basketball that turns what should be controlled wins into unnecessary drama.
This Hawks team is vulnerable right now. They have several players dealing with illness and likely won’t be ready to come out of the gate at full speed. That’s the moment Minnesota has to strike. Set the tone immediately. Smother Trae Young and Jalen Johnson before they ever find their footing. If the Wolves establish physical, disciplined defense early, they put themselves in the driver’s seat for the rest of the night.
#2: Defend the Perimeter
Atlanta has the kind of offensive firepower that will absolutely torture you if you get lazy on the wings. Trae Young can go nuclear on any given night. He’s a game-time decision with illness, but that’s irrelevant. Minnesota cannot allow him to get comfortable.
And you already know Nickeil Alexander-Walker is showing up with something to prove. There are no hard feelings, but a New Year’s Eve game against your old team is always circled on the calendar. That means it’s on Edwards, McDaniels, and Clark to lock the perimeter down, deny clean looks, and avoid putting Rudy in constant recovery situations because of leaky wing defense.
#3: Keep the Three-Point Shooting Hot
In Chicago, Naz Reid was in full NBA Jam “He’s on fire!” mode with his purple Prince jersey, flames shooting out of the rim, the whole deal. Naz and Donte DiVincenzo have to keep that stroke alive, and Ant and Randle need to use their gravity to create clean looks for the shooters around them.
The Wolves have already lost too many games this season because the three-point shot disappeared. That absolutely cannot happen against Atlanta. If Minnesota wants to stick with the New Year’s theme, they need to keep those balls dropping through the hoop.
#4: Rudy Must Continue His Tear
Gobert has been an absolute monster lately. Minnesota is finally making a real effort to keep him involved offensively, and the results speak for themselves. His efficiency around the rim has been huge, and his rim protection has quietly reached another level over the last few weeks.
Rudy has to continue to own the paint, deny Atlanta easy looks, make their drivers think twice, and dominate the boards. If Big Ru has another one of those nights, everything tilts in Minnesota’s favor.
#5: Anthony Edwards — This Is Your Moment
New Year’s Eve. Back home in Atlanta. Family in the building. This has the makings of a signature night.
There’s no need for a snooze alarm here. This is a 48-minute wire-to-wire performance waiting to happen. Aggressive drives. Strong finishes. Patented step-back threes. This feels like one of those nights where Ant drops a 40-piece to ring in the New Year properly.
Conclusion
And with that, we close the book on 2025 game previews.
Hopefully the Wolves handle their business in Atlanta and finish the year on a high note, setting the table for a strong start to 2026. January opens with a stretch of winnable games that could have Minnesota climbing the Western Conference ladder before that looming showdown with San Antonio on the 11th.
It’s been a pleasure taking this ride with all of you this year. We’ve seen some chaos, some heartbreak, and a lot of moments that reminded us why this team is worth the emotional investment. That 2025 playoff run, even if it ended too soon, was one of the most electric stretches this franchise has ever delivered, and I’m glad we all lived it together.
Here’s to 2026.
Here’s to whatever this team becomes.
And no matter how it shakes out, the Canis Hoopus team will be here, breaking it down, celebrating the wins, suffering through the losses, and loving the thing that brings us all together:
Minnesota Timberwolves basketball.
Happy New Year, everyone.
