The Surging Timberwolves Are Learning Through the Struggle

Minnesota Timberwolves middle Karl-Anthony Cities performed coy when a reporter requested if he had discovered one thing about how one can win tight, essential video games throughout his workforce’s 125-116 loss to the league-leading Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

“For certain, for certain,” Cities stated, earlier than pausing as if enthusiastic about whether or not to disclose what precisely he’d discovered.

He thought higher of it.

“For certain,” he stated, “there’s positively one thing I spotted.” He added, “I’ll be sure that it doesn’t occur once more.”

Cities is an unusually forthcoming interviewee for an N.B.A. star, however nowadays he has to make a calculation he’s hardly ever needed to take into account earlier than: No matter he reveals about his course of might wind up providing a bonus to a playoff opponent.

After practically twenty years of dwelling within the backside half of the N.B.A.’s Western Convention, the Timberwolves (42-32) are establishing themselves as energetic, younger newcomers who may need some endurance as a playoff contender. That’s, if they will keep away from the traps of the league’s play-in match.

“We all know we’re on this stretch the place we’re enjoying all these prime groups,” Timberwolves Coach Chris Finch stated. “We stated from the start after we began, that is what we wished. We’re studying about ourselves. We’re studying what we have to do presently of yr to play towards these groups.”

With eight video games remaining within the season, Minnesota has extra wins than in all however one of many earlier 16 seasons (2017-18). Two of these seasons have been shorter than the usual 82 video games: The Timberwolves performed simply 64 video games in 2019-20 due to the pandemic, and 66 in 2011-12 due to a labor lockout. Even so, their profitable share this yr can be higher than these shortened seasons even when they lose the final eight video games.

That 2017-18 season, with Jimmy Butler main the best way to a 47-35 document, was additionally the one one previously 17 when the Timberwolves made the playoffs.

Their postseason futility typically earned them favorable draft positioning, together with the No. 1 total decide twice — in 2015, after they drafted Cities, and in 2020, after they drafted Anthony Edwards.

Edwards has introduced power along with his play and character, averaging 21 factors per sport in his second N.B.A. season and thrilling each teammates and followers along with his buoyancy, significantly earlier than injuring his knee in January.

Cities has embraced his management position. He’s been significantly efficient in March, beginning the month with a 39-point effort towards the Golden State Warriors, and scoring 60 factors final week towards the San Antonio Spurs.

The Timberwolves have relied on the veteran guard Patrick Beverley for his protection and the recommendation he can supply as somebody with in depth playoff expertise. Beverley has appeared in seven postseasons, together with final yr, when he was with a Clippers workforce that reached the Western Convention Finals.

Minnesota’s development from final season is obvious, but it surely has additionally progressed since earlier this season. Minnesota misplaced seven of its first 10 video games and had a season-worst six-game shedding streak throughout that span.

However now, in March, the Timberwolves are 9-3 and have compiled profitable streaks of 4 and 6 video games because the All-Star break in February. They’ve hovered near capturing a minimum of the sixth-best document within the Western Convention, which is now the one method to make sure a playoff berth.

Previously, the league would merely embody the highest eight seeds in every convention within the playoffs. However final season, the N.B.A. launched a play-in match for the underside of its playoff bracket. In it, the groups with the seventh- by Tenth-best information in every convention play in a mini match for the ultimate two playoff spots.

The league favored the change a lot it stored it this yr, and it has created an unusual stage of late-season intrigue in each conferences. The Lakers, who’ve toggled between ninth and Tenth place within the West, now have a cushion that provides them a second life even when they end outdoors the highest eight. For the Timberwolves, although, the play-in type has added a hurdle that didn’t exist by most of their playoff drought.

Because the standings sit now, the Timberwolves are the seventh seed and would host the eighth-seeded Clippers of their first play-in sport. If Minnesota gained, it could turn out to be the seventh seed within the playoffs. If it misplaced, it could play the winner of a sport between the ninth and Tenth seeds for the fitting to be the eighth seed within the playoffs.

Final season, the format allowed the Memphis Grizzlies to sneak into the playoffs with play-in wins over San Antonio and Golden State, regardless of ending the common season with the ninth-best document within the West.

Such a destiny is probably a impolite reward for a Timberwolves workforce that has taken such strides this season.

Towards the Suns on Wednesday, the Timberwolves noticed what a workforce seems like when it has expertise with closing and imposing its will. The Timberwolves led by 15 factors within the third quarter, however have been outscored by 22 within the second half. Technical and flagrant fouls referred to as towards Minnesota have been a part of the story, however so was Phoenix’s poise in its comeback effort.

With a six-game lead over the eighth-seeded Clippers, the Timberwolves are unlikely to complete decrease than seventh, however they path the sixth-seeded Nuggets by only a sport and a half.

Capturing that sixth seed and being safely out of the play-in match can be difficult given the tough schedule that continues to be. The Timberwolves have now misplaced consecutive video games to the Mavericks and Suns. They’ll face Dallas once more on Friday, then the Boston Celtics, who’ve gone 19-3 because the starting of February. They’ll additionally face Chicago, Toronto and Denver — all within the prime seven of their conferences — earlier than the tip of the season.

Denver would have been in rivalry for the Western Convention title this season if not for accidents, significantly the one to level guard Jamal Murray. Of their path, Finch, who was on the Nuggets workers throughout the 2016-17 season, sees some extent of comparability for the Wolves about what may be required to turn out to be a fixture within the postseason image.

“It simply takes time,” Finch stated. “Particularly when you could have a younger workforce, a younger core.”