Jimmy Butler, Timberwolves Clinch Playoff Berth with Overtime Win vs. Nuggets

For the first time in 14 years, the Minnesota Timberwolves are headed to the playoffs. 

Facing a win-or-go home showdown against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, the Timberwolves stepped up and snapped the NBA's longest active postseason drought with a 112-106 overtime win at Target Center. 

The Timberwolves are now locked into the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup with the Houston Rockets following the New Orleans Pelicans' win over the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder's win over the Memphis Grizzlies. 

Karl-Anthony Towns put forth a tone-setting performance on the biggest stage of his career, and he finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds in a toe-to-toe tilt with Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who was downright dominant in his own right. 

KAT Highlights vs Nuggets

A one-man wrecking crew Wednesday evening, Jokic piled up a game-high 35 points and 10 boards. He also erupted for 17 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting in the third quarter to help the Nuggets hang around despite repeatedly misfiring on open three-point attempts. 

Joker Highlights

Jamal Murray added 20 points, including the game-tying shot with 1:59 remaining in regulation. 

However, the Nuggets moved away from what was working, ran three straight plays for Jokic with a chance to take the lead and came up empty on each attempt. 

The last one, which came on an inbounds pass with 4.4 seconds remaining, saw Jokic float to the corner before getting stripped by Taj Gibson to send things to overtime: 

Nikola Jokic Can't Get it to Go

When the extra session rolled around, it was all Jimmy Butler. 

In his third game back from a knee injury, Butler fought his way through some obvious fatigue and dropped a team-high 31 points, seven of which came in overtime. 

"We brought this organization, this city, back where it needs to be," Butler told Fox Sports North after the win. 

Now freed from the burden of a postseason drought that had come to define them, the Timberwolves can set their sights on playing the role of spoiler against the West's No. 1 seed.