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Western Conference landscape is challenging for the Timberwolves

By Ben Beecken

OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 25: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 25, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 25: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 25, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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In case it wasn’t clear already, the Timberwolves are finding that the Western Conference landscape will prevent plenty of challenges when it comes to locking up a top-four seed come playoff time.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the Timberwolves were as close to the top-seeded Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference standings as they were to the No. 8 seed. They had briefly overtaken San Antonio for the No. 3 spot in the West, and Oklahoma City was languishing a handful of games behind the Wolves.

But after dropping four of six games heading into Saturday night’s contest against the Nets, Minnesota sat only one game ahead of Oklahoma City, one game behind the Spurs, and only five games in front of the eighth-seeded Nuggets.

How quickly things can change in the Western Conference.

Working in the Wolves favor, however, is the devastating, season-ending injury suffered by Pelicans All-Star DeMarcus Cousins on Friday night; New Orleans had won eight of 10 games and still holds a streak of four consecutive victories and found itself all the way up to No. 6 in the West after hanging out in the eighth to tenth spots for much of the season.

The Thunder have won seven straight games and now sit one-and-a-half games behind the Wolves after Minnesota’s win over Brooklyn on Saturday, but OKC defensive specialist Andre Roberson is out for the season after rupturing his patellar tendon. What was already a shallow Thunder rotation will be stretched even thinner, and any matchup with wings like the Wolves’ Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins, the Rockets’ James Harden and Eric Gordon, or the Warriors’ Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson will be that much more difficult.

Believe it or not, the Timberwolves are only four-and-a-half games ahead of No. 8 Denver, and are now nine games behind Golden State. They went 2-2 without Jimmy Butler, including nice wins against Toronto and on the road over the Clippers, and losing at Portland and at Golden State on the second night of a back-to-back isn’t the end of the world, either.

Also on the positive side: the Timberwolves have stretched their home winning streak to 10 games, and now sit at 20-6 at Target Center on the season. The only Western Conference team with a better home record is the 20-4 Spurs.

Minnesota is still 9-2 within the Northwest Division and a shocking 24-9 against the West. They also will own key tiebreakers against the Thunder (won the season series 3-1) and the Pelicans (leading 3-0), and are leading the series against Portland two games to one. They’ve split two games against San Antonio, and have won the only meeting against the Nuggets.

While the last 72 hours have brought significant injuries that will impact the Western Conference playoff picture, it doesn’t change just how slim the margin of error will remain out West.

Next: Tyus Jones has become an elite defender

And even though the Wolves remain as one of just a handful teams in the NBA that has avoided a losing streak of greater than two games, the recent treading of water won’t get the job done.

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