Timberwolves coach Chris Finch and his players were measured in their response to Tuesday’s collapse in Milwaukee, during which Minnesota squandered a 24-point, fourth quarter advantage to drop a critical bout versus the Bucks.

The message, in essence: That stunk, move on, get ready for Thursday.

“Everyone in here is (ticked) off,” Wolves guard Donte DiVincenzo told reporters. “But just regroup and come back, because we know we have a huge game on Thursday.”

There’s rarely a choice to approach things in any other way in the midst of a regular season that never seems to stop. Players will tell you it’s the beauty of the season — there is always another game.

But, in this instance, the next game is the game.

Minnesota is in Memphis on Thursday in a game that will likely determine the Wolves’ path to the Western Conference playoffs. Minnesota figures to be a 14-plus point favorite in each of its home games over the weekend against Brooklyn and Utah. This is the final result that remains relatively unknown.

As of Wednesday morning, Basketball Reference cited Minnesota’s chances to finish with a top-six seed at 55%, and 45% to finish in the No. 7 or No. 8 spot, so it’s nearly a coin flip. Those odds will have shifted dramatically by late Thursday evening.

A win over the Grizzlies, and Minnesota — assuming no major bungling of the two ensuing layups at Target Center — figures to finish in the top six in the West, thus avoiding the play-in tournament.

But a loss to Memphis, and Minnesota, eighth in the West as of Wednesday afternoon, would suddenly need a heap of help from its surrounding competitors to sneak inside the top six.

The same is largely true for Memphis, who entered Wednesday’s NBA slate in a four-way tie for fourth. But the Grizzlies aren’t in a favorable spot regarding tiebreakers, so they were seeded seventh.

Memphis, now down two rotation players after rookie standout wing Jaylen Wells broke his wrist in a scary fall Tuesday, likely can’t lose Thursday and still finish in the top six.

So, Thursday is for, well, a lot. Minnesota has grown accustomed to high-stake duels in the final week of the regular season. In Game 82 of the 2022-23 campaign, the Wolves beat New Orleans in a game that was the difference between Minnesota being the No. 7 seed and the No. 9.

Last year, Minnesota fell to Denver in a game that went a long way toward determining the No. 1 seed.

And now this.

Not only will Thursday’s bout have cataclysmic ramifications in the West standings, it’s also important for Minnesota to prove itself. While the Wolves are 14-4 over their past 18 games, they’re just 3-3 in that span against teams who are above .500 on the season.

Can they bounce back? Can they again rise to a big occasion? Can they punch against a similar caliber foe? Can they avoid playing in their third play-in tournament in the last four seasons?

The answers to those questions will largely be answered in Memphis.