After beating the Brooklyn Nets 101-86 Saturday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves notched their 40th victory in their 57th game. It's been quite a long time since the Wolves has seen the much success.
Legendary coach Phil Jackson had a saying that a true contender for the NBA Championship would have 40 victories before 20 losses. Consequently, every champion since 2007-08 has met this criterion.
This Wolves team has not only declared themselves as contenders in the league, but they also have a shot at surpassing the franchise record of 58 wins set in the 2003-04 season. Minnesota would need to go 19-6 over the rest of the season to get the record.
Next, a game-by-game breakdown is provided, offering a logical path to achieve 19 wins over the next 25 contests.
Next 5 games
vs Spurs, vs Grizzlies, vs Kings, vs Clippers, vs Blazers
The Wolves continue their long homestand with five consecutive games at the Target Center. All five of these games are winnable for the Wolves, but it's fair to say that they might drop one between the Sacramento Kings or the Los Angeles Clippers.
In this instance, it'll be the Clippers. The Timberwolves have won both affairs against LA this season. Sweeping the season series against a top-four squad in the Western Conference is extremely difficult.
If the Timberwolves are legitimate contenders, then they will take care of the San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, and Portland Trail Blazers without much resistance.