The Detroit Pistons arrive at Target Center tonight 13 games under .500 and...just three games behind Atlanta for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.

The Wolves, meanwhile, are even at 30-30 and five games behind Dallas for the West's final spot and the clock is ticking loudly.

If the season ended today, both Charlotte and Atlanta would make the playoffs in the East with losing records.

And Memphis with a 34-26 record would miss out in the West.

"I just think that's the way it is," Wolves coach Rick Adelman said about the disparity between the strength of the two conferences. "There's nothing you can do about it."

That said, Adelman suggested the league should be "aggressive" in seeking ways to modify the playoffs to make them more equitable.

"You look at each year as it comes and see if there's any way to tweak it," he said. "This is just one of those years you have to deal with."

The Knicks came to Target Center Wednesday with a 21-40 record and yet were about as far away from the playoffs as the Wolves are.

Then the Wolves went out and got run over from the start.

Tonight, they face a physical Pistons team with a talented frontcourt. Another loss could just about end any realistic ambitions the Wolves have to catch up and claim a playoff spot.