>> ERIC: THE MINNESOTA TWINS ARE COMING OFF OF A TEN-GAME WINNING STREAK, BUT THE TIMBERWOLVES ARE THE TALK OF THE TOWN.

THEY HEAD TO DENVER ON SATURDAY FOR GAME ONE OF THE WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS AFTER COMPLETING A FIRST-ROUND, FOUR-GAME SWEEP OF THE PHOENIX SUNS.

IT WAS THE FIRST 4-0 SWEEP IN THE HISTORY OF MINNESOTA PRO SPORTS.

LARRY FITZGERALD SENIOR HAS BEEN COVERING MINNESOTA SPORTS SINCE BEFORE THE TIMBERWOLVES' FIRST SEASON IN 1989.

WHEN HE'S NOT HERE IN STUDIO "B" FOR HIS REGULAR "ALMANAC" SPORTS CHATS, YOU CAN CATCH LARRY'S RADIO WORK ON THE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING NETWORK.

FITZY, THE TIMBERWOLVES FOR ALL OF THEIR -- WITH A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS, HAVE BEEN KIND OF A LAUGHING STOCK.

AND NOW THEY'RE AMERICA'S TEAM.

WHAT HAPPENED?

[ Laughter ] >> YOU KNOW, I WAS THERE IN PHOENIX FOR THE SWEEP AND I WOULDN'T MISS IT.

IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE TO WATCH.

THIS TEAM.

AND I'VE TOLD YOU AND CATHY ALL SEASON, THEY'RE LEGIT.

AND THEY'VE PLANNED AND THEY'VE HAD THE FORT YIEWNT OF GETTING THROUGH INJURIES.

LAST YEAR YOU CAN REMEMBER DOWN THE STRETCH, THEY HAD A GUY BREAK HIS WRIST, ANOTHER ONE BREAK HIS HANGED AND ANOTHER TWO GET INTO A FIGHT.

THIS TEAM IS TOGETHER.

THEY'RE UNIFIED.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THEIR PLAYERS RUNS INTO THE COACH ON THE SIDELINES.

>> Mary: MAYBE CLEM HASES KINS DISLOCATING THE SHOULDER GETTING CTS JACKETS OFF, IS THAT THE CLOSEST THING?

>> THAT'S PROBABLY IT.

TO SEE A COLLISION BETWEEN HIS PLAYER AND A COACH AND HAVE HIM VIRTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE SURGERY AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DECIDE HOW HE'S GOING TO COACH TOMORROW AND THROUGH THIS SERIES, BECAUSE BVIOUSLY IT'S HIS TEAM AND HE KNOWS WHAT HAS TO BE DONE.

>> Mary: LET'S CLEAR UP THE HISTORIC RECORD, BECAUSE THE LYNX DID SWEEP A PLAYOFF SERIES AS WELL.

SO DOES THIS COUNT OR BETTER THAT OR NOT?

>> WELL, WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE SUNS HAD HAVE TWO HALL OF FAME PLAYERS, TWO PLAYERS ON THE OLYMPIC TEAM, AND I JUST THINK THIS IS THE BIGGEST, BECAUSE OF THE REALITY OF THE FACTS THAT THEY BEAT MINNESOTA IN THE LAST GAME OF THE REGULAR SEASON BY OVER 30.

AND THAT GAME PUT MINNESOTA WHERE THEY'RE AT.

INSTEAD OF BEING NUMBER ONE, THEY'RE NUMBER THREE.

>> Mary: AND THE LYNX DIDN'T HAVE SEVEN-GAME SERIES.

SO PROBABLY THE MATH.

>> WELL, I'LL GIVING THE LYNX SOME CREDIT, THERE'S NO QUESTION.

THEY TOOK IT TO THE HOUSE.

THEY WON FOUR CHAM MEANSHIPS AND THEY'VE DONE IT WITH GREAT STYLE.

>> Mary: SO IS THIS TEAM GOING TO DO IT?

>> WELL, THEY'RE PLAYING THE WORLD CHAMPIONS.

AND DENVER IS NO SLOUCH.

AND THEY JUST TOOK OUT THE LAKE Q.R.ERS.

BUT THE GENERAL MANAGER WHO BUILT THAT TEAM, TIM CONNELLY IS THE MAN THAT PUT BASICALLY THIS TEAM TOGETHER.

HE MADE THE DEAL TO BRING RUDY GOBERT IN HERE AND THEY HAD THE VISION TO SEE THAT ANTHONY EDWARDS IS LIKE A ROCKET.

HE IS GOING THIS WAY.

AND IF HE STAYS HEALTHY AND CONTINUES TO PLAY THIS WAY AND THEY PLAY DEFENSIVELY, THEY'RE THE BEST TEAM DEFENSIVELY IN THE PLAYOFFS ...

THEY CAN WIN EVERYTHING.

>> Eric: NOW THE TWINS ARE DOMINATING WHAT I THINK IS A WEAK PART IN THEIR SCHEDULE.

BUT THERE WAS A BUNCH OF OH NOS WHEN BYRON BUXTON GOES ON THE TEN-DAY INJURED LIST.

>> YEAH, TEN DAYS.

A LEG INJURY AGAIN.

>> Eric: HERE WE GO AGAIN?

>> YOU GUYS TOLD ME WAS GOING TO START IN CENTER.

I SAID I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT.

AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT HE JUST CONTINUES TO RUN INTO ANY INJURY BUZZ AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRY TO GET HIM BACK.

BUT THE TWINS HAVE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES.

I MEAN, WITH ONE PLAYER HERE, ONE PLAYER THERE.

BUT LIKE YOU SAID, THEY PLAY A WEAX PART OF THE SCHEDULE.

>> Eric: VIKINGS DRAFT, ARE YOU A J.J. MCCARTHY GUY?

>> IT'S GROWING ON ME.

I THINK THE VIKINGS WENT INTO THE DRAFT WITH A PLAN.

WHEN YOU HAD TWO FIRST ROUND PICKS, YOU'RE GOING IN THERE KNOWING THAT THIS IS A HEAVY QUARTERBACK DRAFT THAT COULD BE LEGENDARY.

AND THEY HAD TO GET ONE OF THEM.

AND I THINK THEY GOT THE GUY THEY WANTED BECAUSE THEY WENT OUT AND TALKED TO, YOU KNOW, HARB RANK WHO'S COACHING THE CHARGERS NOW AND THEY FOUND A WAY TO MANEUVER AND GET INTO THAT SPOT.

TRADE ON DRAFT DAY AND GET THE TENTH SPOT AND THEY GOT A QUARTERBACK THAT THEY THINK CAN RUN THIS TEAM.

>> Mary: DO WE OVERSTATE THE IMPORTANCE OF A QUARTERBACK IN THE MODERN N.F.L.

OR IS THAT IMPOSSIBLE?

>> IT'S HARD TO GAUGE.

I'VE FALLEN INTO BELIEVING WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD AND WHAT I'VE SEEN, THAT THE QUARTERBACK POSITION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION, NOT JUST IN FOOTBALL, IN ALL OF SPORTS.

AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT TOM BRADY DID, TO WIN SIX CHAMPIONSHIPS IN NEW EXPULSIONLAND, HE LEAVES AND THE TEAM GOES INTO THE TANK.

HE GOES TO TAMPA, THEY WON A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, YOU GOT TO SAY THAT'S THE CASE.

EXPWRE SO WOLVES IN SIX?

>> I CAN'T SEE IT GOING IN LESS THAN SIX.

>> Eric: ALL RIGHT