Ten years ago this weekend the Timberwolves clinched a playoff spot. It was the last time the “P” word has been confirmed in franchise history. To complement this retrospective in Sunday’s Pioneer Press, here’s a list of the top games in the 2003-04 season. …
Nov. 26: New York 97, Wolves 92
Low: At home, the Wolves fell to 8-7 to a dysfunctional team that cycled through three coaches that season.
Baller: Dikembe Mutombo tallied 18 points, 17 boards and two blocks.
Jan. 14: Wolves 100, San Antonio 93
Landmark: A 35-point, fourth-quarter comeback on the road against a perennial power.
Baller: Sam Cassell registered 33 points on 12-of-23 shooting and nine dimes.
April 8: Wolves 94, Sacramento 86
High: A huge fourth quarter on the road is amid a season-high, nine-game winning streak heading into the playoffs.
Baller: Kevin Garnett stuffed stat sheet with 24 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks in 46 minutes.
April 30: Wolves 102, Denver 91
Clincher: In Game 5, the Wolves never trailed as they won their first playoff series in franchise history.
Baller: Latrell Sprewell had 19 points, five dimes, three thefts — and most importantly — was a game-high plus-22.
May 4: Sacramento 104, Wolves 98
Deflating: In Game 1, Mike Bibby blows up for 33 points to eviscerate the Wolves’ home-court advantage.
Baller: Besides Bibby, Cassell sizzled with 40 points on 15-of-25 shooting and five assists.
May 10: Wolves 114, Sacramento 113 OT
Wrangling: In Game 3, Kevin Garnett hits clutch 12-footer jumper on the road to wrestle back home-court edge.
Baller: Besides “Big Three,” which had 62 percent of scoring, Fred Hoiberg added 14 points, with four three-pointers.
May 19: Wolves 83, Sacramento 80
Epic: In final seconds in Game 7, Chris Webber misses a three-pointer and the Wolves are in the Western Conference Finals.
Baller: Besides KG’s MVP-caliber performance (see below), his former top running mate, Wally Szczberbiak, added 10 bench points.
May 27: Los Angeles 92, Wolves 85
Crippling: In Game 4, Sam Cassell finally succumbed a hip injury from semifinals and Lakers took a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Baller: Kobe Bryant stepped up with 31 points on 10 of 24 shooting.
May 31: Los Angeles 96, Wolves 90
Ending: Game 6 had nine ties and four lead changes, but Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton sealed the Wolves’ fate.
Baller: Besides those four HOFers, Kareem Rush contributed 18 points off the bench.
Photo caption: Richard Marshall/Pioneer Press. And here’s our photo gallery at twincities.com.
Here’s a great compilation of KG’s highlights of Game 7 vs. Kings: