Timberwolves fans, with their team on a path to reach the postseason for the first time since 2004, have been able to zero in on gripes this season that read more like nitpicks than wholesale complaints.
If we can look past all the aesthetic bellyaching and hand-wringing over minutes played, we can find a legitimate cause for eventual concern: The Wolves possess several good wins and a handful that one would even deem important, but against the West's elite teams — Houston and Golden State — they are a combined 0-3, with the losses coming by 55 total points.
All three were on the road. The Wolves get four more shots at those two opponents. Three of those games are at Target Center, including Tuesday night against Houston.
The phrase "signature win" is a little cliché, but a victory Tuesday would build confidence in a lot of different directions as the Wolves head toward the postseason.
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.
