Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 keys to series vs. Rockets

After qualifying for the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, the Minnesota Timberwolves will look to make their playoff run as long as possible.

The Minnesota Timberwolves broke the longest current playoff drought in the NBA this past Wednesday, ending a 13-year absence with a 112-106 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets.

While the Wolves may feel a desire to reflect on their accomplishment, the real work begins Sunday night, when they head south to face the team with the best record in the NBA, the Houston Rockets.

After acquiring Chris Paul this past offseason, the Rockets have taken head coach Mike D’Antoni‘s elite offensive system to greater heights, shooting more 3s than 2s and having a Hall of Fame point guard on the floor at all times.

The Rockets possess a bevy of players with long playoff resumes, while two of the Wolves’ best players in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns will experience the playoffs for the very first time.

While Minnesota possesses more talent than the average 8-seed, beating the Rockets four times in seven games is nearly impossible, especially when considering they lost only three games with James Harden, Clint Capela and Paul in the lineup during the regular season.

If Minnesota wants to compete with the best of the West, here are the five things they’ll need to do in order to pull it off.