While there haven't been many playoff moments in Timberwolves history, there have been some memorable ones that have left a strong impact on Wolves fans.
Ahead of game three against Memphis on Thursday night, take a look at the top five moments in Wolves playoff history.
5. First playoff game at Target Center vs. Houston in 1997
Seven seasons after first becoming a team in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves punched their ticket to the NBA Playoffs for the first time, drawing a first-round matchup against the reigning NBA Champion Houston Rockets. While the Timberwolves were swept in the series, playoff basketball had arrived in Minnesota, and it would kick off the first of an eight-year playoff streak that would end with some moments a little higher on this list.
4. 2018 game three vs. Houston
With the arrival of Jimmy Butler and the emergence of Karl Anthony Towns, nothing could have been more exciting for Wolves fans than playoff basketball returning to the Target Center for the first time in 14 years. The TimberBulls finished 8th in the Western Conference in 2018, drawing a first-round matchup against the MVP James Harden-led Rockets. Getting into the playoffs was a feat itself that needed a game 82 overtime win against the Denver Nuggets, something that years past would have you think was impossible from this franchise but somehow wasn't.
After losing a close game one and getting blown out in game two, the Wolves responded big with a 121 to 105 victory at home. Not only was it a return of the postseason in Minneapolis, but a win with a team we would later find out was riddled with issues. While the offseason would bring new challenges and another five seasons until we would make the playoffs again, it would set up one of the most exciting teams to watch this year.
3. Memphis game one 2022
Is it too soon to have this moment this high on this list? Maybe, but the win itself was impactful and could carry weight depending on the outcome of the series. The Timberwolves came into their postseason matchup with Memphis hot off a play-in win heavily scrutinized by the NBA world. Was it overkill on the celebration? To those outside of Minnesota, maybe, but to the rest of the state and Wolves fans, Patrick Beverly could have cheered a bit longer.
Going into game 1, the Wolves showed confidence rarely seen in this franchise. Anthony Edwards and KAT put together scoring runs that Wolves fans who weren't out of diapers during KG's tenure have only dreamed of — this may or may not be the case for the person writing this. But, watching the Wolves execute a game plan for one of the best teams in the league was huge, and for KAT to respond after being criticized for his poor performance in the play-in game showed what playing for Minnesota means to him.
This was a statement game and will go down as one of the best moments in recent Wolves memory and could be seen as a turning point in a franchise long laughed at.
2. First playoff series win over Denver in 2004
After finishing first in the Western Conference for the first time, the Timberwolves were ready to make a statement with the soon-to-be-named MVP Kevin Garnett. Going into the matchup against Denver, the Wolves never had won a playoff series, only coming close once in a game five loss to Seattle in 1998.
That wouldn't be the same outcome this time around, though, as the Wolves were ready to show the league they had arrived. The series was highlighted by a 40-point outburst in game one by Sam Cassell, a 31-point performance by Latrell Sprewell in game two, and a couple of 20-plus rebound games for Garnett.
A rookie Carmelo Anthony was not enough to stop the Wolves from rolling even though they dropped a game in Denver. But, in the end, losing game three to the Nuggets was worth it because watching the Timberwolves close out their first playoff series at home, after a decade-plus of struggling to play winning basketball when it counted, made it all the sweeter hearing Target Center roaring for their team.
1. Clinch over Sactown 2004
The phrase emotional rollercoaster does not do enough to describe the emotions felt throughout the state as the Big Ticket took on Chris Webber and the Sacramento Kings — or Queens if you're Shaquille O'Neal. This is by far the best playoff moment the Minnesota Timberwolves have ever had, winning a thrilling seven-game defensive series.
To think that NBA games used to end in a score of 74-86 is wild, but it shows how strong defensively the league was during this time — Steph Curry, still being in grade school, also helped keep scores low.
The Wolves dropped game one of the series at Target Center, leaving a complex task of needing to steal a game on the road against a real threat in Sacramento. But in what seems like only folk tales after watching the Wolves for the past decade, the Timberwolves completed the task, taking game three on the road in overtime and then closing out the series at home the rest of the way.
Garnett again had four 15-plus rebound performances and led the Wolves in scoring for four of the seven games. Sprewell was also present on the box score, collecting a 34-point game in a crucial home game 5. It's worth noting that Cassell also dropped 40 in the series opener for the second time in a row.
For a team that has had its ups and downs and a plethora of lineups that have been unforgettable, this series is the shining moment for a team that once drafted Christian Lattner and skipped on the all-time three-point shooter twice.
The Timberwolves may not make it to the NBA Finals this year — even though deep-down I have hope — but putting together the season they did gives Wolves fans a good feeling about what is to come in the future.
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