“Wolves in five” has become a rallying cry for local fans.
It also has been the reality of their first two playoff series, with the Timberwolves dispatching first the favored Lakers and then the Stephen Curry-less Warriors four games to one to reach their second consecutive Western Conference finals.
Just as was the case in the first round, the Wolves have had the luxury of resting and waiting to see who, when and where they play next.
And just as was the case in the first round, the series the Wolves waited for went the distance. The top-seeded Thunder finally put away the fourth-seeded Nuggets on Sunday with a dominant 125-93 victory in Game 7 in Oklahoma City.
That means the Western Conference finals will start Tuesday in Oklahoma City. Games will be every other day for the rest of the schedule, starting with the Wolves on the road for Game 2 on Thursday and back at home Saturday and May 26 — Memorial Day — for Games 3 and 4.
If necessary, Game 5 would be May 28 at Oklahoma City; Game 6 would be May 30 at Target Center; and Game 7 would be June 1 at Oklahoma City.