With a Sunday, April 28 win, the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Phoenix Suns to complete the 4-0 sweep in the Western Conference first round. 

The Timberwolves averaged a 15-point margin of victory over the Suns, marking only the third playoff series victory in Timberwolves history.

As a Timberwolves fan, I couldn’t be happier with the results of the series. The prospect of advancing to the Western Conference Finals past the Denver Nuggets, who gave up a game to a struggling Lakers squad, only builds more anticipation as the playoffs progress. 

Throughout this regular season, the Timberwolves tied the series to the Nuggets 2-2. The Wolves won the first game of the regular season series, as the Nuggets went on to win two of the three remaining late game matchups. 

This year’s conference semi-final is also a rematch from last year’s first round, when the Nuggets defeated the Timberwolves 4-1.

The T-Wolves biggest challenges are still yet to come, as three of four teams left on the western half of the bracket represent the northwestern division. The division that the Wolves placed third in at the end of the season, behind the Nuggets and the one-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The only team in the Western Conference not from the northwestern division is the Luka Doncic led Dallas Mavericks

Game one against the Nuggets is Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Denver at 5 p.m. mountain time. If necessary, the series will stretch to a game seven on Sunday, May 19, and the time of the game is still to be determined.