Timberwolves learning what it takes to win in bunches

One of the biggest self-diagnosed problems the Timberwolves had last season was they would get too complacent with success.

That sounds like a lot of hubris for a team that finished 23-49. But that complacency was why they had the record they did. They would win a game, feel good about themselves, relax a bit – and then lose multiple games after that.

"When you're a team in the mindset of, let's say, like we were a year ago, whenever you win, you feel like this relief that you didn't lose," coach Chris Finch said. "That's where the letdown comes from. Rather than when you're a team that's winning more, you're trying to play to a certain standard."

The Wolves have done that recently and find themselves with their third five-game win streak of the season. They have a chance to record their first six-game streak since 2004 with a win Wednesday over Oklahoma City, a team they beat by 37 on the road Friday.

"The biggest thing this season from my previous three was right now we can see where we could be," guard Josh Okogie said. "The last couple [seasons], yeah we had a team and we had good stretches, but not to say we weren't playing for something – we're always trying to win – but it was just so far out of reach. Now, the playoffs are within reach and we're not actually trying to just be that eighth, seventh seed."

After winning five straight, the Wolves might have made a move up the Western Conference standings closer to the sixth seed, where they can avoid the play-in tournament at the end of the season. Unfortunately for them, No. 6 Denver is 9-1 over its last 10 and No. 5 Dallas is 8-2.

That hasn't affected the Wolves much, who are also 8-2 in their last 10.

"Last year, we'd win and I'd feel like it was the NBA Finals," center Naz Reid said. "This year, we win and it's, 'OK, we're trying to get wins in a row, not just one win then drop two, one win then drop two.' We're trying to be consistent this year, and I feel like everybody is all in."

Okogie said the team group chat is filled with basketball talk, such as players recommending to each other to watch certain matchups of teams that are coming up on their schedule or ahead of them in the standings.

"We're chasing something now," Okogie said. "We're coming into the game expecting to win. Not saying we're taking any team for granted because we come to each game with a professional approach, but we're playing for something now and I feel like everybody is on the same page, locked in and everybody wants to ultimately get out of the play-in game and solidify our playoff spot."

There's also a hunger around the team, Okogie said, because a lot of young Wolves are experiencing team success for the first time in their careers, or are contributing in a major way to a team that is potentially playoff bound.

Finch said the Wolves have been able to balance short-term and long-term goals better this season.

"We try to frame those for our guys as much as possible," he said. "So that takes a lot of the living game to game out of it. … The team starts feeling the confidence that it has by playing well and playing the right way, everybody being able to contribute and that confidence grows. It's part of the human nature of it."

Last season their human nature was to let up. That's not the case now.