TIMBERWOLVES: 2004 Playoffs: Round 1 Preview

by Bruce Wolfe

The Minnesota Timberwolves accomplished their goals for the 2003-04 regular season. A first-ever Midwest Division title, in a division where all seven teams finished with winning records. A franchise-record 58 wins, seven more than last season and second-most in the NBA this season. A franchise-record 27 road wins, tying Indiana for the most in the NBA this season. The top seed in the Western Conference playoffs, ensuring home-court advantage throughout the first three rounds.

The next challenge: advancement in the NBA Playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The opponent in the way is the Denver Nuggets, a team that has qualified for the postseason for the first time since 1995. The Nuggets have experience with success as the eighth seed, having upset top-seeded Seattle in a five-game series in 1994. Denver also pushed Utah to the limit in the second round that season, losing in seven games. But can this new group of Nuggets, led by Rookie of the Year candidate Carmelo Anthony, recapture that same playoff magic?

The two teams played four games during the regular season, with the Timberwolves winning three of the four matchups. The two games at Target Center were not close, as the Wolves cruised to an 89-76 victory on Nov. 18 and a 98-77 win on March 21. Minnesota built its average winning margin of 17 points per game on the defensive end of the floor. The Nuggets, who averaged 97.2 points per game (5th in NBA) and shot 44.3% field goals (11th in NBA) during the regular season, combined for just 76.5 points per game and 31.5% field goals in the two games at Target Center.

The two games at Pepsi Center were a different matter. The Timberwolves needed a tip-in from Latrell Sprewell with 16 seconds left to break a 94-94 tie and defeat the Nuggets, 97-95, on Jan. 26. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Nuggets used a 30-9 advantage in fast break points to defeat the Wolves, 101-92. As bad as Denver was in offense at Target Center, they were much more like themselves at Pepsi Center, averaging 98.0 points per game and shooting 41.6% field goals.

Defense was a key tenet of Minnesota's nine-game winning streak at the end of the season. None of Minnesota's opponents scored more than 90 points in those final nine games, and they averaged 83.1 ppg and 39.9% field goals in that streak. This helped Minnesota set franchise records with 89.1 opponent points per game (seventh in NBA), and 41.4% opponent field goals (fourth). Minnesota will need to use its defense to slow down Denver's fast break to be successful in this series.

Player matchups are magnified in a playoff series, since you see the same team over a 10-day to two-week period. Coaches are able to concentrate on the opponent at hand and not worry about any other opponents. The first matchup concerns Kevin Garnett. The Wolves' All-Star forward and MVP candidate scored more points and grabbed more rebounds than any other player in the league, becoming the first player in 29 seasons to accomplish that feat. How does Denver match up with the "Big Ticket"? They will likely use the combination of Nene and Marcus Camby to try to slow him down. Garnett averaged 25.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.25 blocks in the four games this season against the Nuggets, and will look to improve on those gaudy numbers in this series.

The second key matchup is the point guards. This matchup concerns all four point guards, as Andre Miller and Earl Boykins of the Nuggets and Sam Cassell and Darrick Martin of the Timberwolves will all have an influence on this series. As was mentioned earlier, the Denver fast break is one of the key factors in this series, and these four players will control the tempo more than any other players on the floor. Cassell had two of his lowest scoring games of the season against the Nuggets, managing six points in the first and last games of the season series against Denver. He has hit big shots all season, however, and will need to continue to do so in this series.

The third matchup focuses on the team's bench players. Minnesota's bench has been a catalyst in its winning ways in the stretch run. Whether it is shooting, offensive rebounding, defensive presence or energy, the Wolves' non-starters have provided quality minutes. The debate about how much the altitude plays a factor in games at Denver will continue forever. It is a factor, but how much of a factor depends on who you ask. Minnesota will use its depth and look for quality minutes off its bench. Can Denver's reserves match the quality of Minnesota's bench play?

Every playoff series has a life of its own. The personalities, the play on the floor and the fans in the stands all contribute to the intensity of every playoff series. Both teams have something to prove in this series. For the Nuggets, they will try to prove that their 26-game improvement over last season is not a fluke, and that they belong among the elite in the NBA. For the Wolves, they will try to continue their great play in the last three weeks of the regular season and prove that they are a legitimate title contender. The questions begin to get answered Sunday night at Target Center.