Timberwolves got a peek into the second season

Rockets forward PJ Tucker, left, drives to the basket as Timberwolves forward Taj Gibsondefends during the first half of Game 5Timberwolves veteran guard Jamal Crawford deemed the season that just was a “success” while young star Andrew Wiggins chose to call it an “improvement” instead.

By whatever evaluation, the Wolves’ 47-victory regular season and first-round, five-game playoff loss to Houston were important experiences for a franchise that hadn’t made the postseason since 2004.

Before ending that drought, the Wolves played for weeks in games that often felt — and were officiated — like playoff games. Only an overtime victory over Denver on the regular season’s final night allowed them to…