Ranking the Timberwolves' five toughest games in March

It's time to rate the Timberwolves' five toughest games this month.

 The Timberwolves were 4-1 in the five toughest games for the team in February and are 7-3 overall with one game remaining before the calendar flips to March. Minnesota's efforts this month have kept the team atop the Western Conference rankings as the postseason approaches.

So, without further ado, here is a look at the Wolves' five most difficult games in March:

vs. Los Angeles Clippers, Sunday, March 3 at 2:30 p.m.

As of Wednesday morning, the Clippers were only three games behind the Timberwolves for first place in the Western Conference standings. They'll be eager to make up ground when they visit Minneapolis on Sunday. The Clippers have the NBA's fourth-best offence, led by Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden.

The Timberwolves, on the other hand, have matched up well against the Clippers and will face them at home on a day off, so it's not their most difficult game of the month, but Los Angeles will always be a test. 

at the Cavaliers, Friday, March 8, 6:30 p.m.

The Timberwolves face a challenging yet intriguing challenge. For the majority of the season, the Timberwolves have had the NBA's best defence, with the Cavaliers following closely behind (kind of). As of Wednesday morning, the Wolves had the NBA's greatest defensive rating at 107.8, while the Cavaliers had the second best at 110.6. Cleveland is presently second in the Eastern Conference rankings, while Donovan Mitchell is one of the NBA's top scorers, averaging 28.1 points and 6.2 assists per game.

Clippers, Tuesday, March 12, 9 p.m.

Nine days after defeating the Clippers at home, the Timberwolves will go to Los Angeles to face Leonard, George, Harden, and Co. again. Minnesota will also be playing their fourth game of a six-game road trip. It's not easy to win on the road, especially against a club like the Clippers. And if the Timberwolves take care of business at home, the high-powered Clippers will undoubtedly come out in full force in the hopes of reclaiming a victory when they face again in Los Angeles.

vs. Nuggets, Tuesday, March 19 at 8 p.m.

The Nuggets are not the club you want to face in the second half of a back-to-back. The Timberwolves will have to anyway. After their six-game road trip concludes in Utah on March 18, Minnesota will return to Minneapolis to face Jokic, Murray, and the Nuggets the next night. The Timberwolves have had a lot of back-to-backs in recent weeks, and the March 19 game may be the toughest or have the highest stakes. The Nuggets are still two games behind the Wolves for the conference's top spot, and they will have a day off to give their all against a potentially tired Timberwolves club at Target Centre. 

Nuggets, Friday, March 29, at 8 p.m.

The defending champions are always a tough matchup, and playing them on the road is especially daunting. As of Wednesday morning, the Nuggets were only two games behind the Timberwolves for first place in the West. Nikola Jokic is having another great season, averaging 26.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game. Minnesota's defence hasn't always been as good on the road as it has at home, but the Wolves will need a great effort from Rudy Gobert and Co. when they travel Denver to face Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the Nuggets.