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Utah Jazz Vs Minnesota Timberwolves: Preview, Injury Report, How To Watch

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 20: Isaiah Collier #8 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 20, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Alex Goodlett/NBAE via Getty Images | NBAE via Getty Images

The Jazz have achieved 2 essential losses already on this quick road trip, and are looking to continue the trend Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, these are not the same Timberwolves we’ve gotten used to seeing in the Western Conference finals; they will be without star guard Anthony Edwards, who is projected to be out 1-2 weeks with right knee inflammation. This is unfortunate on 3 fronts. First; Anthony Edwards is consistently one of the most entertaining star players to watch in the league, and this contest will be worse without him. Second; a matchup with a player of Edward’s caliber provides very useful experience for the youngsters, who can use every minute of playtime versus star players in preparation for the Jazz 2027 playoff run. And, perhaps most importantly, third; the Jazz’s likelihood of pulling off a stunning win against the Timberwolves increases when Anthony Edwards is nursing a sore knee on the bench.

Nevertheless, the Timberwolves have every incentive to win – they’re currently tied for the 4th seed with the Nuggets and Rockets, so any separation in the race for home court advantage in the first round would be huge for them. And, on the other side of the same coin, the Jazz have a few incentives to lose. They are currently slotted with the 5th best lottery odds, which gives them a 99.4% chance of staying in the top 8 and keeping their pick in the loaded 2026 draft. However, they’re only 3 games behind the Sacramento Kings for the 4th worst record, which would guarantee their keeping the pick. This is to say that this game is enormously important for both parties.

Cody Williams will look to continue his momentum from his career high, 34 point night on Sunday versus the Kings. Additionally, Anderrson Garcia and Bez Mbeng will have another opportunity to show their defensive chops during their 10-day contract tryouts. If I had to bet on which Jazz player will have a big night, my money would be on Isaiah Collier – the combination of Keyonte George and potentially Ace Bailey (got whacked by Anderrson Garcia on a rebound all the way into the concussion report) out with injury, with the Timberwolves sometimes-shoddy guard point of attack defense, Isaiah will have the usage and matchups necessary to put up a big night statistically.

The Timberwolves, who have struggled a bit without Edwards this year (7 wins and 4 losses), will likely funnel additional usage to Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle. We will also get a good look at newest Timberwolf Ayo Dosunmu, acquired from the Bulls at the trade deadline, who took the open starting spot on 3/17 against the Suns with Edwards injured.

Which Jazz youngster are you hoping to see a big game from against the Timberwolves? Let me know below!