The Minnesota Timberwolves punched their ticket to the Western Conference finals Wednesday night, taking down the Golden State Warriors in just five games.
It’s a statement victory that proves last year’s playoff run was no fluke.
"The challenge we laid down to our guys from day one was quite simple," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said after the win. "It was one question: ‘Were you a Western Conference finals team, or were you a team that just happened to make the Western Conference finals?’ And there’s only one way to prove that: Go out and do it again. And that was our mission all year."
Mission accomplished.
The Wolves join rare company as just the fifth 6-seed to reach the conference finals since the NBA expanded its playoff format in 1984. They’re in the same club as this year’s Pacers, the 1994-95 Rockets, 1988-89 Bulls, and 1983-84 Suns.
Julius Randle dominated Game 5, pouring in 29 points on a red-hot 13-for-18 shooting night as the Wolves closed out the Warriors 121-110.
Anthony Edwards wasn’t far behind, adding 22 points and dishing out 12 assists.
Edwards also reached a major milestone, joining Wolves legend Kevin Garnett as the only players in franchise history with 1,000 career playoff points. That’s pretty impressive for a player who’s still just 22 years old.
The win marked the first time Minnesota clinched a playoff series at home since Garnett was leading the team 21 years ago.
"After a win like we had last year against Denver in Game 7, I felt like you get the whole world praising you," said Rudy Gobert, who contributed 17 points of his own. "All the sudden, you went from being the underdog to being the favorite. The way we weren’t mature enough to handle that yet. We were aware of it. This year, we’re mature enough."
That maturity showed in their execution.
The Wolves shot an absolutely ridiculous 77% on two-point attempts (36 for 47). Let that sink in – they missed just 11 two-pointers all night.
They also set franchise playoff records with 36 assists and a 62.8% overall field goal percentage.
How good was that shooting performance? It ranks as the third-best shooting percentage by any team in a series-clinching win since the shot clock was introduced.
The Wolves absolutely owned the paint, scoring 72 points inside – tied for the third most by any team in a playoff game over the last 25 years.
Mike Conley added 16 points and 8 assists, while Donte DiVincenzo finally broke out of his shooting slump with 13 points.
With Golden State eliminated, Minnesota now gets at least three days of rest before the conference finals begin. If Oklahoma City (currently up 3-2) beats Denver in Game 6 on Thursday, the series would start Sunday in OKC at the earliest.
Can this Wolves team make even more history? They’re certainly playing like a team that believes they can.
