The Minnesota Timberwolves have been the surprising stars of the NBA playoffs, winning their first six games with a strong defense, key performances from Anthony Edwards, and deep bench strength.
They’ve made a significant move by winning the first two games of their Western Conference semifinal series against the defending champion Nuggets in Denver. Now, they’re gearing up to play in front of their home crowd. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday night, with a late start time expected to ramp up the energy in the arena.
“The fans have been amazing all season,” remarked Karl-Anthony Towns. “They’ve got this place rocking like Prince is performing again.”
After sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round with two wins on the road, the Timberwolves haven’t played at Target Center since April 23, creating a gap of 17 days between home games.
To keep the excitement going, the team has partnered with 11 downtown bars to host watch parties. Ticket prices on resale platforms were starting at around $250 for single seats, showing the high demand.
This buzz is unprecedented for a franchise that has never won an NBA title and has only made it past the first round once in the 34 seasons prior to this one.
“The city is buzzing. People are thrilled about this team,” said coach Chris Finch. “They’re easy to support because of their style of play. They play with passion and share the ball. We’ve got a bunch of good guys who play with flair.”
In the history of the NBA playoffs, including the Nuggets, 30 teams have lost the first two games at home in a best-of-seven series, according to Sportradar research. Only five of them have managed to come back and win, with the Los Angeles Clippers being the most recent in a 2021 first-round comeback against Dallas.
