(Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Timberwolves finished with the third seed in the Western Conference during the regular season, but not a ton was expected out of them during the playoffs.
Yet they have shocked plenty of people thus far this spring.
They swept a star-studded Phoenix Suns team in the first round, and then they stunned the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the second round by winning the first two games on the road and then stealing Game 7 in Colorado.
In fact, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins said the Timberwolves are “on the verge of having one of the greatest runs in playoff history,” via NBA on ESPN.
.@KendrickPerkins says the Timberwolves are “on the verge of having one of the greatest runs in playoff history.” pic.twitter.com/9Bw1Si6BHT
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 20, 2024
Going into Game 7, many people expected Denver to win, even after the Timberwolves had made them look vulnerable with a 106-80 win in Game 2 and a 115-70 rout in Game 6.
The Nuggets took a 15-point lead at halftime and went up by 20 shortly afterward, and they looked to be well on their way to the Western Conference Finals.
But Minnesota completely turned the tide, rapidly chipping away at their deficit until they finally took the lead early in the fourth quarter and never looked back.
It has been their defense that has been driving their success — they ranked first in the NBA in defensive rating during the regular season and held the Nuggets to 97.6 points a game in the second round.
Now, the Timberwolves will face a Dallas Mavericks team that features Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in the Western Conference Finals, and they’re the early favorites to win the series.
They aren’t the favorites to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy, but at this rate, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if they end up doing so.
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