Timberwolves

Timberwolves is a name with two common uses. It can refer to the timber wolf, a North American gray wolf (Canis lupus) native to forests, or to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Timber wolves typically live in packs in forests and woodland edges across Canada and the United States. They are apex predators, preying mainly on large ungulates such as deer and elk, but their diet can include smaller mammals. Packs are led by an alpha pair, with other adults and pups sharing responsibilities. Territory size varies with habitat and prey availability. Historically persecuted and hunted, timber wolves have faced habitat loss; however populations have recovered in parts of their range due to legal protections and reintroduction programs, and they are protected under wildlife laws in many areas. The eastern timber wolf is one commonly recognized regional population in the eastern United States.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are an NBA team founded in 1989 and based in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area. They play home games at the Target Center. The franchise competes in the Western Conference and has reached the playoffs on several occasions, including a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2004. They have not won an NBA championship. The team has been a focal point for basketball fans in Minnesota and has helped raise the profile of the sport in the region.