3 reasons Timberwolves won’t be pushovers in Game 5 of NBA Playoffs
By Bret Stuter
Reason II: Timberwolves victories seem to come in batches
Even as the Minnesota Timberwolves finished the 2022-23 NBA season at 42-40, the team felt very streaky throughout the season. If the Timberwolves lost one game, it just seemed to be that the team would lose three or more games. At least until fortunes changed, and the Timberwolves found a way to win one game. Then, wins seemed to come in batches as well.
Throughout the 2022-23 NBA season, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ streaks consisted of:
- Streaks # times 3 or more in streak Longest streak
- Losses 8 6 losses
- Wins 7 5 wins
So it does have some basis of logic to project the Timberwolves’ pattern of losing consecutive games followed by winning consecutive games from the regular season into the postseason. The reason I had not brought this up until now is the fear that the Timberwolves needed to win a game to put the theory of this pattern to the test.
Timberwolves turned the series’ momentum
So far in the NBA Playoffs, the Minnesota Timberwolves have one three-game losing streak. Will the team follow the same pattern that they established for at least 50 of the 82 regular season games played and start winning games now?
For most teams, the level of competition would play a significant factor. But I’m not so sure that holds the same effect on the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. After all, when the Timberwolves faced a team with a sub-.500 record, they were more often than not on the short end of the stick, Therefore, when the Timberwolves faced a team with a record over-.500, this team enjoyed better than even-odds success.
If history repeats itself, then the Minnesota Timberwolves could extend this series to a Game 6, or perhaps if all the stars and planets align, perhaps even a Game 7. I don’t see the Timberwolves advancing yet. But for the life of me, I simply do not see Round 1 ending with a Game 5 either.