Upcoming Minnesota Timberwolves dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
An expansion team that learned to win in spring
The Minnesota Timberwolves play their home games at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, with a regular season that runs from late October to mid-April and playoffs that can carry into June. They compete in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference, a group that includes the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz.
The NBA awarded the franchise to Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson in 1987, and the team began play in the 1989–90 season. Its first home schedule was played in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, where the Wolves drew more than one million fans, an NBA attendance record. Target Center opened the following season.
For most of its history the franchise was defined by one player: Kevin Garnett, drafted in 1995, who won the league MVP award in 2004 and led the team to its first division title and a Western Conference Finals trip that spring. Two decades later the Wolves became a regular playoff presence again, reaching the conference finals in both 2024 and 2025. Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez completed their purchase of the team, along with the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, from longtime owner Glen Taylor in 2025. Check the team's site for the current roster before you buy.
Target Center, inside and out
Target Center opened on October 13, 1990, at 600 First Avenue North in the Warehouse District, directly across the street from Target Field. It is listed at 18,798 seats for basketball. A 2004 project replaced every original seat and reshaped the lower bowl, and a renovation finished in October 2017, costing about 140 million, rebuilt the exterior, concourses, seating and technology. The Lynx share the building in summer.
For a Wolves game, the bowl reads as four tiers of product:
- Courtside, the floor-level rows along the sidelines.
- The lower level (the 100-numbered sections that wrap the court), where seat numbers run in order around the bowl; seat 1 in section 111, for example, sits on the aisle next to section 110.
- The upper level, the second deck, which holds most of the lower-cost seats.
- Suites and club areas, including a baseline club above section 121 branded the Treasure Island Resort and Casino VIP Terrace.
Seating guides place the Timberwolves bench in front of sections 132 and 133 and the visitors' bench in front of sections 129 and 130, which makes 129 through 133 the bench sideline and 110 through 112 the opposite center-court sideline. Confirm on the seat map for your game.
Where to sit at a Wolves game
Center court in the lower level
The strongest seats in the building are the sideline sections 110 to 112 and 130 to 132, ideally from about row 5 upward. Row 5 and higher clears the benches and the scorer's table. If you want to watch the home team's huddles and substitutions, choose the 130s side; if you want a clean, uninterrupted view of the floor with the benches in the background, choose the 110s.
Baselines and the VIP Terrace
Baseline lower-level seats sit close to one basket, but the low rows look through the stanchion and lose depth at the far end. The VIP Terrace above section 121 bundles food, drink, parking and a separate entrance, which makes it a comfortable choice for a group or client night, but it is still a baseline view, and the far side of the court is harder to read from there.
The upper level
The front rows of the upper-level sidelines are the value play. From there you see spacing and transition develop, and the price gap to the lower bowl is usually wide. The back rows of the upper corners are the seats to skip unless budget is the only factor.
Accessible seating
Guides note accessible rows at the top of most sections throughout the arena, with folding companion chairs available.
When demand peaks for Timberwolves tickets
The NBA season follows a set rhythm: preseason in early October, an 82-game regular season (41 home games) from late October to mid-April, the play-in tournament, then four rounds of playoffs from mid-April into June. NBA Cup group games in November and December count in the standings.
- Recent playoff opponents. The Denver Nuggets, eliminated by Minnesota in a seven-game 2024 series that ended with a 20-point Game 7 comeback, and the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder, who knocked the Wolves out of the 2024 and 2025 conference finals, carry the most edge.
- Marquee visitors. Games against the league's most recognizable stars draw casual fans and push up resale prices on the lower-bowl sidelines.
- Weekend nights and holiday weeks. Friday and Saturday games, and dates around the winter holidays, sell faster than Monday through Wednesday games.
- The playoffs. Postseason prices rise by round and settle into place quickly once an opponent is known.
A midweek January game against an Eastern Conference team out of the playoff race is usually the easiest and least expensive ticket of the season. Every GoodSeats order is backed by a 100% guarantee.
Skyways, light rail and arena rules
Target Center is one of the easier arenas in the league to reach in winter. It connects to the downtown Minneapolis skyway network (enclosed second-floor walkways between buildings), so fans parking in nearby ramps or staying in a connected hotel can arrive without going outdoors. The Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue light rail station, served by the Metro Blue and Green lines, is a block away, which makes the airport, the Mall of America and downtown St. Paul a train ride from the arena.
The arena counts nearly 25,000 parking spaces in 38 lots and ramps downtown and points drivers to Ramp A or B for elevator and skyway-level entry. Accessible drop-off is at First Avenue and Sixth Street. Pregame options cluster in the North Loop and along Hennepin Avenue, both within walking distance.
As of fall 2026, the arena's posted rules include the following. Check the Target Center guest guide before you go, because these policies change.
- Bags: no larger than 5 by 9 inches, a small clutch size, with exceptions for diaper bags and medical bags. Strollers are not allowed.
- Entrances: the main skyway entrance serves general ticket holders; floor ticket holders use the lobby entrance.
- Tickets: digital, through the AXS or Ticketmaster app.
- Payments and re-entry: concessions are cashless, and leaving the building ends your night.
Garnett, the Metrodome crowds and the long climb back
The Wolves lost their first game at Seattle on November 3, 1989, and their first home game to the Chicago Bulls five nights later, but the crowds kept coming to the Metrodome all winter. The early years were lean. Garnett, drafted straight out of high school, changed the franchise's ceiling, and the 2003–04 team won 58 games and reached the Western Conference Finals before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2007, and the Wolves did not return to the postseason until 2018, ending a 14-year playoff drought. First-round exits followed in 2022 and 2023. The 2024 run broke that pattern: a first-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns, the franchise's first series win since 2004 and the first sweep in Minnesota men's pro sports history, followed by the comeback against Denver. The Timberwolves' official site carries the current schedule and team news.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the Minnesota Timberwolves play?
The Timberwolves play at Target Center, 600 First Avenue North in downtown Minneapolis, across the street from Target Field. It opened in 1990 and is listed at 18,798 seats for basketball.
What is the bag policy at Target Center?
As of fall 2026, bags may be no larger than 5 by 9 inches, with exceptions for diaper and medical bags, and strollers are not allowed. Check the arena's guest guide before you go.
Can I take light rail to a Timberwolves game?
Yes. The Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue station on the Metro Blue and Green lines is a block from the arena, and the building also connects to the downtown skyway system.
What are the best seats for a Timberwolves game?
Lower-level sideline sections 110 to 112 and 130 to 132, from about row 5 up, give the best view. The Wolves bench sits in front of sections 132 and 133, according to seating guides.
Have the Timberwolves ever reached the NBA Finals?
Not yet. The franchise has reached the Western Conference Finals three times, in 2004, 2024 and 2025.