30 Greatest Moments In Timberwolves History
By Ben Beecken
#9 – Timberwolves Finally Make the Playoffs
After seven playoff-less seasons to begin the existence of the Minnesota Timberwolves, new head coach Flip Saunders and 20 year-old forward Kevin Garnett led the Wolves to a 40-42 record and a playoff berth at the conclusion of the 1996-97 regular season.
After taking over for Bill Blair midway through the 1995-96 campaign, Saunders took a 6-14 squad and went 20-42 the rest of the way before helping the franchise turn the proverbial corner the following season.
In a best-of-five series the Wolves were swept by the Houston Rockets, winners of back-to-back NBA Finals championships in 1993-94 and 1994-95 and a squad that would go on to lose in the conference finals to the Utah Jazz in 1997. Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, and Hakeem Olajuwon were too much for the young pups that time around, but the fact that Minnesota made it that far was seen as an enormous accomplishment.
Next: #8 - Kevin Garnett Wins All-Star Game MVP