SALT LAKE CITY – Now six games from season's finish, Timberwolves interim head coach Sam Mitchell is handing out some summer homework once his team plays its last game April 13 against New Orleans at Target Center:

Go watch some playoff games.

"I'm encouraging guys to get on a plane and go watch some of these teams in the playoffs," Mitchell said. "Don't go sit in the V.I.P. section. Don't sit in a suite. Sit in the stands. Feel the energy in the arena. Feel the intensity. Look at the players and how focused and intense they are, how hard they're playing, how now every basket is important. It's one thing to be in there in the arena and get that feel. It's a whole other experience."

Young stars Zach LaVine and Karl-Anthony Towns each attended a Clippers playoff game in Los Angeles last spring. LaVine said he'll "definitely" attend at least one this year, but hasn't decided where or when yet.

"It's a different atmosphere, man," LaVine said. "Big, big-time intensity. You can just tell how much it changes."

Towns attended a Clippers-Houston playoff game and said: "I know how that atmosphere is. Obviously we all want to play in that atmosphere."

Apparently, though, it doesn't compare to the NCAA tournament and a Final Four.

"Those are different beasts," Towns said. "No matter what I say, I think the pressure that comes with the NCAA tournament, for Kentucky especially, and being undefeated, is a lot for a lot of people to handle."

The Wolves haven't reached the playoffs since 2004.

Making his point again

LaVine played extended minutes at point guard against Utah on Friday for the first time in weeks after Ricky Rubio picked up two fouls in the first 2½ minutes. Mitchell moved LaVine over from shooting guard and played backup Tyus Jones sparingly at the point.

Jones entered Friday's game 0-for-his-last-19 on three-point attempts, and he went 1-for-5 on threes Friday. He also went 1-for-9 overall and scored three points after going 0-for-6 and scoreless Wednesday against the Clippers.

Etc.

• Wolves forward Andrew Wiggins started Friday's game, two nights after he suffered a chin laceration against the Clippers that required four stitches. "A hard elbow," he said.

• Jazz forward Derrick Favors did not play because of knee soreness that caused him to leave Wednesday's overtime home loss to Golden State early. Mitchell was a New Jersey assistant coach after the Nets drafted Favors third overall in 2010. "He has developed into a really good power forward," Mitchell said.

• LaVine paid for a new kitchen at the Metro Deaf School in St. Paul. He donated $10,000 of his slam-dunk contest winnings and has become involved there, visiting the school three times this season. He took sign language in high school. "I wanted to do something different," he said.

• Rubio has a chance to win the team's NCAA tournament pool "if Oklahoma wins and gets to the final," he said.