If not for an injury to Sam Cassell, KG and the Wolves
might have made it to the NBA Finals in 2004.

Though it’s hard to believe that it was only six years ago, the 2003-2004 season was easily the Minnesota Timberwolves’ best season. The Wolves compiled a Western Conference-best 58-24 record and advanced to the Western Conference finals. Individually, Kevin Garnett won the NBA MVP award, the first Timberwolf ever to do so.
 

Following a third place finish in the Western Conference in 2003, the Wolves earned their first home-court advantage in the playoffs ever. However, the Los Angeles Lakers took the opening series against Minnesota 4-2, marking the seventh consecutive year the Wolves lost in the first round of the playoffs. In the offseason, the team took its biggest steps at giving Garnett a strong supporting cast, trading for Sam Cassell, Ervin Johnson and Latrell Sprewell.

Alongside Garnett, Cassell and Sprewell became the highest scoring trio of teammates in the NBA that season. Garnett averaged 24.2 ppg, while Cassell had 19.8 ppg and Sprewell posted a 16.8 ppg mark. The additional scoring from the two guards helped the Wolves improve by seven games over their 2002-03 record.

Though they started just 5-5, the Wolves went 7-3 over their next 10 games and 16-4 from December 9 to January 21. By the All-Star break, Minnesota was 37-15 and Garnett was voted into the All-Star game as a starter while Cassell was a reserve. The Wolves ended the season on a nine-game winning streak and won the Midwest Division by a game over the San Antonio Spurs.

Over the course of the season, Minnesota lost consecutive games just five times and never lost more than two games in a row. In addition to their season-high nine game win streak, the Wolves had three five-game win streaks and a six game win streak. Though scoring was down throughout the league that year, Minnesota averaged 94.5 points per game and scored over 100 point 24 times. The Wolves were 21-3 when they scored at least 100 points, partly due to their 89.1 points allowed per game.

At season’s end, Garnett had his best season ever, posting 24.2 ppg, an NBA-best 13.9 rpg, 5 apg and a career-best 2.2 bpg en route to his first MVP award. Garnett was also named to the All-NBA First Team for the third time and NBA All-Defensive team for the fifth consecutive year. Cassell was named to the All-NBA Second Team after averaging a career-best 19.8 ppg and a respectable 7.6 apg.

Despite the incredible regular-season success Minnesota enjoyed, it still faced the reality that the Wolves had never advanced past the first round of the playoffs in the team’s existence. While the team finally seemed equipped to make a legitimate run at an NBA title, it would first have to buck its seven year trend of making early postseason exits.

In the first round, the top-seeded Wolves were matched up against the eighth seed Denver Nuggets. Minnesota quickly won the first two games before Denver claimed a victory at the Pepsi Center in game three. The Wolves won a tightly contested game four 84-82 and clinched its first ever playoff series victory with a 102-91 win at the Target Center.

The Wolves began the conference semifinal against the fourth-seeded Sacramento Kings with a 104-98 loss at home. Minnesota won the next two games and traded wins with Sacramento to force a deciding game seven. Garnett celebrated his 28th birthday by dominating the game to the tune of 32 points and 21 rebounds in a 83-80 Timberwolves win. Cassell chipped in 23 points and Minnesota prepared to meet L.A. in the conference finals.

Minnesota and LA split the first two games at the Target Center before the Lakers pushed the Wolves to the brink of elimination in game four, holding a 3-1 series lead. A bad back limited Cassell throughout the series and Wally Szczerbiak and Fred Hoiberg were unable to pick up the scoring load. With backup point guard Troy Hudson also battling injury, the lack of a solid point doomed the Wolves against a Lakers team featuring Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and hot-shooting Derek Fisher. While a win in game five saved Minnesota’s season for the time being, the Wolves succumbed in game six, 96-90.

Over the course of the playoffs, Garnett averaged 24.3 ppg, 14.6 rpg and 5.1 apg to improve on his MVP-caliber regular season stats. Though he was unable to carry the team to the NBA Finals for the first time ever, Garnett was able to prove to critics that he could take over a game when needed, in his game-seven performance in the conference semifinals.

While disappointing in the end, the 2003-04 season would mark the high point in franchise history. The Wolves produced their first playoff series wins, first MVP and best regular season finish ever. Though the optimism that followed Minnesota’s playoff run would quickly sour as the following season began, Wolves fans got the relief of finally “getting over the hump” in the postseason.