Timberwolves fans, make plans for Western Conference finals . . . at least

In the moments following the Timberwolves’ 106-80 dismantling of the Nuggets on Monday, big man Rudy Gobert FaceTimed an undoubtedly electric locker room.

Gobert was back in the Twin Cities enjoying the birth of his first child. The Wolves celebrated Baby Gobert by honoring the defensive anchor with a suffocating, unrelenting, spirit-breaking performance that will propel them in a few days into the Western Conference finals.

And likely beyond.

The Wolves have won all six of their postseason games. They have won all four postseason games they have played on the road.

It was one thing to sweep the Phoenix Suns, who lacked depth, hated to play defense and whose star player, Devin Booker, delivered a parting gift in Game 4 by hip-checking Mike Conley into coach Chris Finch, sending him to the operating table.

It’s another to dominate the defending NBA champions through two games in Denver, where the hosts have had no answers. Their coach, Mike Malone, should have been served a technical for storming the court to yell at an official. Their point guard, Jamal Murray, should be fined for hurling a heat pack onto the floor in frustration during play.

While this was going on, Gobert was at home. And Finch is unable to walk the sideline following knee surgery. It hasn’t mattered. The Wolves moved Kyle Anderson into the starting lineup. Assistant coach Micah Nori played the Finch role to aplomb. And they kept charging.

Based on what has transpired, Gobert can go on paternity leave until the conference finals. They got this.

“The goal has always been to put out a team that people like to cheer for,” Finch said. “That doesn’t happen unless you play hard and it usually doesn’t happen unless you play defense and share the ball. We’re doing all those things right now.”

The Wolves landed in the Twin Cities around 4 a.m. Tuesday in the midst of a postseason rampage. Teams are supposed to play their best ball at this time of year. The Wolves not only are doing that, they are raising the bar. And the expectations follow.

There are no signs it will let up. This team smells blood in the water now, just like they did when they were up 2-0 on the Suns.

After taking that 2-0 lead against Phoenix, fans chanted “Wolves in four!” After perhaps the best defensive performance in club history on Monday, visiting fans chanted “Wolves in four!” once again. And the home fans at high altitude could do nothing about it.

It is perfectly reasonable to speculate where this is headed. A postseason that could end with the Larry O’Brien Trophy parked at 600 N. 1st Ave. A title built on defense, which isn’t supposed to exist in today’s game. A team with a high-flying superstar in Antony Edwards, who doesn’t like comparisons to the incomparable Michael Jordan. But he then shrugged his shoulders after swishing a three-pointer in the third quarter Monday like Jordan did in the 1992 finals against Portland.

This looks real. They even forced TNT’s Charles Barkley, who spent most of the season asserting that the two-big-man system won’t work in the playoffs, to evacuate from that hill.

This series is over. That will be confirmed on Friday, then Sunday, at Target Center. Murray is shooting one-legged jumpers because of a sore left calf. Superstar Nikola Jokic was limited by an array of Wolves defenders in Game 1 and great work by a defensively focused Karl-Anthony Towns in Game 2. After Aaron Gordon, Denver’s offensive options are limited beyond their top three. Defensively, they can’t double-team Towns and Edwards simultaneously, and the pair have taken turns exploiting that.

There will not be a repeat champion in the NBA this year.

I was in Las Vegas for the Vikings-Raiders game on Dec. 10 when coach Kevin O’Connell told the team they had a championship defense following a 3-0 victory. The real championship defense is being played on the other side of downtown, as the Wolves have put themselves out front in the chase for Mr. O’Brien’s trophy.