That’s right, it’s been two decades since the Wolves have played in a deciding game 7 of an NBA Playoffs series. And the last time it happened was pretty memorable. And the memories from that historic matchup begin with a locker room conversation between reporters and superstar Kevin Garnett two days before game 7 actually took place.

OTD in Minnesota Timberwolves History (2004): Kevin Garnett gets ready for war vs Sacramento Kings

You’ve heard the sound clip for sure, and you’ve probably seen the video too. It’s one of the greatest athlete + reporter moments in Minnesota sports history. KG, Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell were hosting Chris Webber and the Sacramento Kings for a chance to go to the Western Conference finals vs Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

When asked what’s at stake, in the Target Center locker room a couple days before the game, Garnett (fresh off being named 2003-04 NBA MVP) gave us a glance into his mindset, at the time. In his head, KG was preparing for war.

Timberwolves gotta have this legendary Kevin Garnett Game 7 clip on replay on the plane home and at the arena until the game starts against the Nuggets

exactly 20 years to the day of their last game 7 in the NBA playoffs

"I'm ready for War" pic.twitter.com/LJKEE4cFVp

— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) May 17, 2024

“This is game 7, man. This is it, it’s for all the marbles. I’m sittin in the house, I’m loading up the pump, I’m loading up the uzi. I got a couple M16s, couple nine’s, I got a couple joints with some silencers on ’em. I’m just loading up clips. Couple grenades, gotta missile launcher with a couple, you know, missiles. I’m ready for war.”

Kevin Garnett before game 7 vs the Sacramento Kings in 2004 NBA Playoffs

The Minnesota Timberwolves would end up defeating the Kings in game 7, two days later and KG had to deal with some repercussions over his now famous locker room back and forth with reporters, criticism that would be 100x worse in 2024 than it was back then.

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Not that KG would have cared. His rant, of course, was a metaphor for how he was preparing for game 7 mentally, which was a war mindset. He was entering that game looking for any way to metaphorically kill his opponents. He was walking into that game 7 with a take-no-prisoners mindset.

And if you remember how crazy that game was, he and the 2003-04 Minnesota Timberwolves needed every drop of it to prevail and move on that night. Garnett finished with a game-high 32 points and 21 rebounds in a 83-80 defensive clinic.

On This Day in 2004

Kevin Garnett delivered his iconic Game 7 performance to lead the Timberwolves to 83-80 win over the Kings to advance to WCF as he dropped 32 pts 21 Rebs 4 stl and 5 blks pic.twitter.com/tCT2f1Rq1r

— Lukas (@KBsLakeShow24) May 19, 2023

Every time Sacramento pulled the game within five points, Minnesota answered with a big shot. A three-pointer from KG that stretched the lead to 77-70 was pretty much the dagger.

So now, on the 20th anniversary of the day that Kevin Garnett sat down with reporters and prepared for war with the Sacramento Kings, it’s time for Anthony Edwards to do the same thing. He might have to dig even deeper. This edition of the Timberwolves won’t have the Target Center crowd cheering it on.

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Game 7 on Sunday is in Denver and it isn’t against a young, rising small market team like Sacramento. It’s against the reigning champion Nuggets. Oh, and they have the newly-minted MVP on their team, this time, too. Better get out a couple more uzis and at least one more missile launcher this time around.

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The Timberwolves played their 41st game of the season on Thursday and with it came their 30th victory; making this season the second-fastest that this 35-year NBA franchise has ever reached that win total, behind only 2001-02.

As of Friday afternoon, the Minnesota Timberwolves still sit atop the Western Conference, a seat they’ve occupied for almost the entirety of the season. Sportsbooks don’t see that changing during the 2nd half, either. The Wolves currently are +145 to be the West’s #1 seed, come playoff time. Behind them is the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets, at a somewhat distant +230.

How Many Games Will the Minnesota Timberwolves Win?

As Minnesota sports fans, we never want to look too far ahead. That’s a dangerous game. But this is lining up to be a historic season. And with half schedule now complete, it’s worth diving into just how historic it could really be.

At a base level, projecting the Timberwolves 2023-24 win totals is easy. The season is half over, they have 30 wins. Multiply that by two – Boom – the Wolves are projected for 60 wins total, which would end up as the best regular season in franchise history.

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Win totals can be a bit trickier than that and teamrankings.com has 60 wins as the higher end of Minnesota’s possible win total spectrum. Their algorithm puts the Timberwolves most likely win/loss record at 58-24, which would tie the franchise record from 2003-04.

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Team Rankings’ projections are based on their remaining schedule and the odds, as of today, that they win each of their remaining matchups. In the 90th projectile scenario, where the Timberwolves play out of their minds during the entire 2nd half, the algorithm says Minnesota will lose just eight more games and finish 63-19 on the season.

Worst case scenario, if all shit hits the fan, the Wolves still finish with a 54-28 record, easily the 2nd best regular season record in franchise history and a year every single Minnesota Timberwolves fan would’ve eagerly signed for back in September.

Toughest/Easiest Remaining Games

If you’re a believer in Team Rankings’ projection system, it might be time to hop over the border or do whatever you have to to put some money down on the Wolves, whose win total over/under at at Sportsbettingdime.com is just 56.5.

The Best Season In Minnesota Timberwolves History?

When you ask many NBA fans to name one Timberwolves player, usually, Kevin Garnett is one that comes to mind to first, as he led the Timberwolves to the western conference finals in 2003-04 where Garnett was also later named MVP.

The Timberwolves have only finished first in the western conference once and it was that memorable ’03-’04 season that ended with a Western Conference Finals run. No other team in the organization’s 35-year history has finished better than 4th in the West. Here are the top 5 seasons in Wolves history.

Ultimately, the focal point is winning games, and the Wolves have showcased an impressive ability to do so this season. Sustaining this level of performance gives them a legitimate shot at surpassing the top win total of the 03-04 Wolves.

Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Depth Chart and Injury Report – 2024

Even if they fall just short by a game or two, the prospect of winning a championship remains, serving as a significant accolade that would more than make up for it and solidify their place as the greatest Timberwolves team ever.