The Timberwolves got a huge win over the No. 1 seed Houston Rockets on Saturday night. Led by Jimmy Butler with 28 points, seven rebounds, and five assists the Wolves just avoided a sweep and got a complete game from the rest of his teammates as well. Jeff Teague scored 23 and Andrew Wiggins dropped 20 while Derrick Rose had 17 on the bench.
Timberwolves won 1st home playoff game since Kevin Garnett and Latrell Sprewell were on the court
It’s been a minute.
Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
The entire team stepped up and got the job done.
The last time this happened?
Kevin Garnett and Latrell Sprewell led the Timberwolves to a 98-96 win over Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers the last time an NBA playoff basketball game was held in Minnesota. That was in 2004, when Fred Hoiberg, Luke Walton and Derek Fisher, three current or former NBA coaches, got playing time.
Now, 14 years later, then-eight-year-old Karl-Anthony Towns and the Wolves have brought NBA playoff basketball back.
Saturday night’s Game 3 against the Houston Rockets was huge for Minnesotans, to turn this series into a competitive one. Wolves fans have seen a whole lot of losing. This season was the first since 2005 that their team had a winning record.
Despite finishing with 47 wins, that didn’t guarantee the team a playoff spot either. Fans watched on in a Game 82 winner-takes-all against the Nuggets for the rights to the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. It took overtime to ensure NBA playoff basketball was back in Minnesota. Through the emotions of it all, a playoff win at home would be huge for the fanbase. And that is exactly what they received.
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