Prior to the 2023-24 NBA season, the Minnesota Timberwolves had made a single appearance in the Western Conference finals during their entire existence.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have made an impressive playoff run to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year. While they are still alive as of this writing and are currently in the middle of facing elimination in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, it's clear they're missing a piece.

Based on those stats, you would think that the Timberwolves cruised past the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals in the exact same way they did in Game 3. Instead, the Thunder escaped with a 128-126 win to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.