MINNEAPOLIS — The season didn't end Wednesday night. Keep that in mind when batting around talk of seeding and that eight-letter word that begins with a "P." Keep it in mind, but don't let all that ruin things.
It's been a big week for the Minnesota Timberwolves, a huge nine days since they resumed play after the All-Star Game. With three straight wins against Western Conference opponents, it's hard to even remember that dismal 104-85 loss at the hands of the Lakers on Feb. 29. The blown game in Phoenix last week is fading, too, and what's left is a Timberwolves team that's confident it can hold its own against its biggest rivals.
With Wednesday's 106-94 win over Portland — the second time the Timberwolves have defeated the Trail Blazers by a 12-point margin in less than a week — Minnesota boosted its record to 16-10 against Western Conference opponents. That's a .615 winning percentage, a far cry from the .144 the team had against those clubs in the previous two seasons.
But perhaps the biggest thing about Wednesday's win is also the most dangerous to dwell upon: It puts the Timberwolves in the eighth Western Conference playoff spot. If the season ended right now, they'd be in. That's a confidence boost, but nothing more. There are a lot of games between now and April 26.
"It's great that we're there now, but we still have 26 games left," Kevin Love said. "When we get through those 26 games, then we'll talk."
So talk about the playoffs, but not like that. Not like they're a sure thing, not like the team will be packing its bags for another trip after that final game against Denver. Right now, the playoffs are an option, a possibility. Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman acknowledges them with his team, but he knows how far away the postseason really is.
For now, the team needs to enjoy the past two weeks. It has created something new in that time, bigger than an 8-3 record in its past 11 games. It's built confidence and camaraderie. It's built an identity as something more than a perennial bottom-dweller.
"They know that if we get a rhythm, we play the way we're capable of, we can continue to win games," Adelman said after Wednesday's game. "There is a confidence level; there's a difference tonight."
And rightfully so. Realistically, the Timberwolves will be jostling with seven teams — the Trail Blazers, Rockets, Jazz, Nuggets, Clippers, Mavericks and Grizzlies — for one of those lower Western Conference seeds. Against those seven, Minnesota has an 11-6 record so far this season, with eight games remaining. That's both heartening and uncertain, and the Wolves have to keep winning at that pace to stay in the playoff conversation as the season continues.
The team's performance since the All-Star break says a lot about how far it has come. Four of those six games were against teams that fall into the category of true competition. The Blazers' record is a bit worse than the Timberwolves', but Portland is a proven winner that seems to be underperforming. And the Clippers, despite their better record, are young and seem poised for a come-down in the season's second half.
The two other games, against the Lakers and the Suns, were outliers. The Lakers, though their record isn't much better than the Timberwolves' this season, are still the Lakers — perhaps not as elite, but still contenders who will be tough to beat. The Suns are fading, less likely to make the playoffs. They're the least competitive of the teams Minnesota has faced recently.
In those six games, the Timberwolves had a 4-2 record, going 4-0 against the competition and 0-2 against the outliers. They beat the teams they needed to beat, and those solid wins matter most.
"A team like Portland just has become another game for me," Love said. "Maybe we had a little extra incentive for beating the Lakers, put a little bit extra pressure on ourselves, but we've got to look at it just as another team that's in front of us."
The Lakers come to Minneapolis on Friday, and with them comes a new set of expectations. The Timberwolves are riding a 17-game losing streak to the Los Angeles dynasty, but after proving they can hold their own against teams like Portland and the Clippers, the Wolves must now contend with the Lakers if they want to continue improving. It's a more manageable jump than it might have been in recent years — or even weeks — with the way the two teams' dynamics have changed.
During the Timberwolves' recent hot streak, Love has emerged as even more of a threat than he was early in the season. In his past four games, he's averaged 33.3 points and 13.3 rebounds while shooting 47.9 percent from the field. On Wednesday night, he became the first player in NBA history to record 25 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and three or more three-pointers in three consecutive games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. If this play continues, there will be no way to deny Love has reached a new level, perhaps able to rival Kobe Bryant in what he adds to his team.
It's perfect timing, because Bryant has been the key to the Lakers' two wins over Minnesota this season. When Love sat out last Wednesday's loss, Bryant scored 31, and he finished with 35 points in the teams' first meeting this season. If Love can manage to match Bryant on Friday night, there's no reason to think a Timberwolves win is out of the question.
But there's still time before the Lakers arrive, time before the Timberwolves' worldview is shaken for better or worse. In that time, the team will continue to feel more relevant than it has all season, but it would be wise to take Martell Webster's words to heart.
"Who cares?" Webster said after Wednesday's game. "We've got to keep playing the game. We're in the eighth spot, but we all know that can be taken away in one game."
Who cares? Well, Martell, a lot of people do. But really, he's right. It was just another Wednesday night, and with the way this season's going, there's no telling what the conversation in the clubhouse will be just a week from now.
Follow Joan Niesen on Twitter.
