The Timberwolves find themselves in the midst of a historically wild playoff battle in the West.
With four games remaining, the Wolves are 1.5 games back from the fourth seed and 1.5 games up on the ninth seed.
And to make matters crazier, the Wolves play the ninth-placed Nuggets twice in battles that could absolute determine the playoff fate for each team.
Former Timberwolves guard Troy Hudson played in three playoff series, two in Orlando and one in Minnesota.
“It’s about focus and as if every game was if you’re already in the playoffs,” Hudson told our John Focke last week. “That’s how you have to approach every game. You can’t approach it like a regular-season game. You have to approach every single game as if you’re in the playoffs. This thing could go down to one game to decide whether you’re in the run or not, so it’s just about focus.”
Wolves fans mostly remember Hudson for his play in the 2003 playoffs. While the Wolves lost in the first round to the Lakers in six games, Hudson averaged 23.5 points per game in the series, shooting 43.6 percent from the 3-point line. This included a 37-point, 10-assist outburst in a Game 2 win over Los Angeles.
With four games remaining and a playoff berth not yet earned from the Wolves, Hudson knows what the Wolves players are going through.
“I remember being part of the Orlando Magic team that came down to like the last week and a half to determine whether we were in the playoffs or not,” Hudson said.
Hudson’s memory serves him right. The 2000-01 Magic finished at 43-39 and thanks to the Celtics losing eight of their final 11 games, Orlando earned the seventh seed.
The Wolves are hoping not to back into the playoffs, but with the possible return of Jimmy Butler, along with getting Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose back, this could be a very different team come playoff time when the regular-season records are thrown out the door.
“Once you get in,” Hudson continued, “it’s a brand-new season because everything else from that point on is who plays the hardest and with the most determination.”