From 1998-2019, the San Antonio Spurs reached the playoffs in 22 consecutive seasons. That is tied for the longest streak in NBA history with the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1950-1971). In that time, the Spurs won five championships.
The Minnesota Timberwolves also made the playoffs for the first seven years of that San Antonio run. The only other year they did so over that time was in 2018, as they went 13 consecutive seasons of not reaching the playoffs (2005-2017). Minnesota, of course, is still looking for its first-ever appearance in the NBA finals.
It’s been so long since the two squads have met up in the playoffs that both of their series against each other were best-of-five (opening round changed to best-of-seven in 2003). The Wolves are looking to advance past the Spurs in a postseason series for the first time in team history.
Haven't played the Spurs in the playoffs in 25 years
Prior to 2024, the only year that the Timberwolves had ever won a playoff series was in 2004. That year, they defeated the Denver Nuggets in five games and the Sacramento Kings in seven en route to the Western Conference finals.
Since the Spurs didn’t reach the postseason in 2024 or 2025, it should be fairly evident that Minnesota has never defeated San Antonio in a playoff series. They have met up twice, though, but they were so long ago that both instances came before LeBron James had even entered the league.
Both times, all the way back in 1999 and 2001, the Spurs eliminated the Wolves in four games (again in a best-of-five series, so not a sweep). Another sign of how long ago it has been since the two teams met in a playoff game is that neither club reached triple digits in scoring in any of the eight meetings. Three times, the losing team scored no more than 71 points.
Those meetings were during the beginning of the Spurs dynasty, so there was certainly no shame in losing to them. San Antonio won it all in 1999 (their first-ever championship), and they lost to the eventual champions in the Western Conference finals in 2001 (Los Angeles Lakers).
So the Timberwolves hope the third time is a charm against the Spurs (more than two decades later). Minnesota is a heavy underdog with Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards out (the latter at least to start the series). The odds are against the Timberwolves, but they were as well in the first round.
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