DENVER — A game like Monday's 106-80 Timberwolves victory, when the Wolves beat the defending champions to go up 2-0 in a playoff series without their best defensive player, was not an aberration for this team.
This was a night years in the making, with several moments that contributed to it.
It was a night a little over three years in the making, from when coach Chris Finch was hired and tried to instill a culture of constant competitiveness. It was a night two years in the making, from the moment the Wolves got Rudy Gobert, who was absent Monday to witness the birth of his child, but who has tried to instill the importance of defense, of developing good habits and bringing a consistent effort night in and night out.