Timberwolves relive the playoff lows and highs with games against Dallas, Denver

Just three games into a new season, the Timberwolves play Western Conference rivals Dallas and Denver consecutively this week at Target Center.

They met both teams in last season’s run to the Western Conference finals, beating the Nuggets in the best-of-seven by winning the final two games, including a decisive Game 7 on the road.

The Wolves lost resoundingly to the Mavericks in five games in the Conference finals.

Dallas returns on Tuesday to Target Center, where it celebrated a trip to the NBA Finals by beating the Wolves 4-1 in the seven-game series.

Denver arrives on Friday.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Wolves point guard Mike Conley said. “We understand the last time we saw them how we felt. You don’t want anybody celebrating on your home court. That’s our last memory, so we’ll be ready.”

The Wolves have started this season losing to the Lakers in Los Angeles on opening night before they won at Sacramento and beat Toronto on Saturday in their home opener.

After Monday’s practice, Wolves coach Chris Finch was asked if he’s eager to see Dallas’ Luka Doncic, who almost single-handedly beat his team that lost the series’ first two games at Target Center and never recovered.

“Yeah, of course, looking forward to it,” Finch said. “Get tested right away early in the season against a great team. It’s what you want.”

Wolves star Anthony Edwards scored 43 points in one game, 44 in another in his team’s captivating seven-game series victory over the Nuggets. The year before, the Nuggets had thumped the Wolves 4-1 in a first-round playoff game between the Western Conference’s first and eighth seeds.

The Wolves swept Phoenix in the playoffs’ first round a year ago, then outlasted the defending NBA champion Nuggets.

They lost their first two games at home against the Mavericks and split the next two in Dallas before a 124-103 loss at Target Center in Game 5. The Wolves lost Game 1 by three points and Game 2 by one point.

“They deserved to win that series,” Finch said. “They outplayed us. But much of that series was up for grabs. We were well-equipped to do things last year and we didn’t shoot particularly well. This is a new team, new season, so we’ll see.”

Wolves center Rudy Gobert attributed “attention to detail” his team lacked late in the series’ first two games.

“There were a couple details that cost us each of those games,” Gobert said. “We can point at things we can control and we had those games in control. We win one or both of those games and it’s a completely different series.”

Conley agreed late-game execution lacking on both ends was the difference.

“If we had made the right decision, no turnover or double-teamed when we should have double-teamed, we might have come out with a win,” Conley said. “It could have turned the series completely.”

The Wolves remade themselves after last season, trading former No. 1 overall draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a conditional first-round pick. They also acquired rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. on draft night.

“I guess time will tell,” Gobert said if such changes will get his team closer to a championship. “I had full confidence in our team last year and I have full confidence in our team this year. We have all the tools to be as good as we want to be. Now it’s on us to take that next step.”

Time also will tell if this week’s two visits are merely passing and just another couple nights in the West. The Wolves play the Spurs and budding superstar Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio on Saturday.

“Unfortunately all the teams in the West feel like they’re pretty good,” Conley said. “It’s par for the course right now. When you get Denver, when you get Dallas — teams we’re very familiar with, having played both in the playoffs just a season ago — there’s definitely a little more urgency geared toward those games because of the relationship between those two teams.”