Minnesota Timberwolves playoff tickets go on sale Thursday
MINNEAPOLIS — With the regular season nearing its end, the Minnesota Timberwolves are preparing for a playoff run.
Tickets for the Wolves' first two home playoff games will go on sale to the general public Thursday at 10 a.m., the team announced. Fans can register for an early presale, which will begin Wednesday at 10 a.m., on the Wolves' website.
"I would encourage fans right now to make sure that if they do want to come to any of these first two games that tomorrow morning they're ready to go right at 10 a.m. as they go on sale," said Jake Vernon, senior VP of ticket sales and services. "We expect these two games to sell out quickly."
The Wolves clinched a playoff spot Monday, but it's not yet known who they will play in the first round. With eight games remaining in the regular season, the Wolves are third in the Western Conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. With 51 wins already secured, they're guaranteed to finish with the second-best record in franchise history, tied with the 2002-2003 Wolves.
READ MORE: Minnesota Timberwolves employee charged with stealing executive's hard drive
This will be the third straight playoff appearance for the Wolves, a feat the team hasn't accomplished since the Kevin Garnett years. In each of the past two years, the Wolves were knocked out in the first round.
While the Wolves are in good shape on the court, behind the scenes things are a bit messier. Last week, owner Glen Taylor announced he was no longer selling the team, saying prospective buyers Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez missed the closing deadline for their final payment. Three years ago, Taylor announced a deal to sell the team to Lore and Rodriguez for $1.5 billion. Under the terms of the deal, the pair were to make payments over several years, eventually taking over a majority stake in the team and succeeding Taylor.
Taylor said the buyers failed to meet the terms of the contract, so he called the sale off. Lore and Rodriguez, who already own a 40% stake in the team, dispute his assertion.
"We have fulfilled our obligations, have all necessary funding and are fully committed to closing our purchase of the team as soon as the NBA completes its approval process," the partners said. "Glen Taylor's statement is an unfortunate case of seller's remorse that is short sighted and disruptive to the team and the fans during an historic winning season."