Minnesota Timberwolves

From expansion hopefuls to championship contenders in the Northwest.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are an NBA franchise established in the 1989 expansion, filling the void left by the Minneapolis Lakers' departure. Based in Minneapolis, they initially competed in the Midwest Division alongside their current rivals, the Denver Nuggets. While the two teams met once in the playoffs in 2004, with Minnesota securing a historic series win, their rivalry did not truly intensify until the 2020s. During this decade, the Timberwolves and Nuggets frequently clashed for divisional titles and faced off repeatedly in the postseason, turning a distant history into a fierce contemporary conflict.

Quick Facts

Conference: Western
Division: Northwest
Founded: 1989
History: Minnesota Timberwolves; 1989–present
Arena: Target Center
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sponsor: Sezzle
Owner: Alex Rodriguez, Marc Lore

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

The franchise began in 1989 under original owners Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson. After seven consecutive playoff appearances without a series victory, the team made significant trades for Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell alongside All-Star Kevin Garnett. This move propelled them to the number one seed in the Western Conference in 2003. In their first playoff meeting with Denver that year, the top-seeded Timberwolves defeated the eighth-seeded Nuggets 4-1, securing their first-ever playoff series win. Decades later, the rivalry deepened as both teams swapped key personnel; Chris Finch moved from a Nuggets assistant role to head coach in Minnesota, while Tim Connelly transitioned from leading Denver's front office to becoming the Timberwolves' president. This exchange of leadership and talent set the stage for intense battles throughout the 2020s.

Reader's Guide

For fans tracking the Timberwolves' journey, key turning points define their modern era. In 2022, despite acquiring Rudy Gobert, Minnesota struggled offensively, scoring only 113.3 points per 100 possessions (23rd in the league). Conversely, the Nuggets dominated that season with a franchise-best 53-29 record. The teams met again in the 2024 playoffs where Minnesota defeated Phoenix to advance, eventually facing Denver. In the 2023 series against the Nuggets, Minnesota won Game 4 in overtime but lost the series 1-4. By 2026, the Timberwolves secured a historic first-ever franchise sweep of a playoff series against Phoenix before eliminating Denver in the First Round. A notable regular-season clash occurred on Christmas Day 2025, where Nikola Jokic scored an NBA-record 18 points in overtime to lead Denver to a 142-138 victory after Minnesota erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Did You Know?

The Timberwolves ended a thirteen-year postseason drought on April 11, 2018, by defeating the Nuggets in an overtime play-in game.
In Game 7 of the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals, Minnesota executed the largest comeback (20 points) in Game 7 history to eliminate the defending champion Nuggets.