Minnesota Timberwolves Make Playoffs For First Time Since 2004

The Minnesota Timberwolves won an overtime thriller over the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night to clinch their first playoff birth since 2004.  In a league where 8 teams from each conference make the postseason, it finally ends a painfully long stretch of ineptitude.

I remember the last time the Timberwolves made the playoffs with Kevin Garnett, Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell leading the team all the way to the Western Conference Finals.  They would ultimately lose that series to the Los Angeles Lakers and I, along with all Timberwolves fans, begrudgingly thought just wait until next year!

Well, "next year" took 14 years!  Since then a lot has changed.  I got married, I have two kids who don't even know the Timberwolves as a franchise are eligible for the playoffs every year, and my forehead has become a fivehead.

Back in April 2004, Donald Trump was hitting the talk show circuit to promote his television show, "The Apprentice".  In theaters, people were excited for titles like "Kill Bill Vol. 2", "Mean Girls", and "Hellboy".

Needless to say, having the Timberwolves back in the playoffs is a welcome sight.  Granted, they are the #8 seed and will face a #1 seeded Houston Rockets team that they failed to defeat even once all season, but it's still a step forward for a franchise that has been going the wrong direction for far too long.

Besides, I know of a certain college hockey team who recently was the last team to be invited into the NCAA tournament and went on an amazing run to win it all.