'Starved' Fans Excited About Wolves' Playoff Potential
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- On a night when a 14 year playoff drought had the chance to be snapped, Timberwolves fans walked into the Target Center excitedly optimistic.
"Hopefully it will be wild," said fan Jason Gilbert.
"They got [Jimmy] Butler and [Karl-Anthony] Towns, so if they can just keep the chemistry good, I think they got a chance," said fan Luke Gillim.
The Timberwolves organization is feeling confident as well. Playoff tickets went on sale at noon Monday, even though the team hadn't clinched yet.
"I got excited, it's been so long since that's even been an option," said Gilbert.
If anybody has noticed the 14-year gap between postseason appearances it's Ticket King. The ticket broker has gotten plenty of business selling Minnesota Wild playoff tickets recently.
"As soon as they release the dates, our websites and our phones go crazy," said Michael Nowakowski, Ticket King President.
But for the first time since 2003, his company might have a chance to sell seats for the Timberwolves in the postseason at the same time as the Wild. Both teams made it to the conference finals in their leagues that season.
"If both teams make it to the playoffs, it'll be a bigger deal this year than it was in 2003 just because fans are starved, the Timberwolves fans especially are starved," he said.
Some fans, especially anyone under the age of 20, might not have ever witnessed the TWolves in the playoffs, making the idea of playing deeper into April ever more enticing.
"Even if it is against the Houston Rockets or the Golden State Warriors, just to make it there [would be worth it]," said Cole Gilbert.
The Timberwolves beat the Memphis Grizzlies 113-94 Monday night, but did not clinch a playoff berth thanks to the Denver Nuggets, who beat the Portland Trail Blazers 88-82.
