Before the Timberwolves embarked on a recent 10-game stretch with eight games on the road, coach Flip Saunders said they had to make it over the hump because they would be spending plenty of time at home in their final 20 games.

The Wolves went 5-5, but considering they jumped to a 4-1 start and finished on a three-game losing streak, the mark seems deceiving.

Still, with 10 of their next 12 games at home, where they have the second-best record in the NBA at 23-5, the Wolves are in a position to make a push to gain home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs and to make a run at Midwest Division-leading Dallas. They start against the Los Angeles Clippers tonight.

"This is definitely our opportunity," Wolves guard Chauncey Billups said. "Our schedule is in our favor as far as home games go. We know we're coming off a bad road trip, but we have to put that behind us. We have to try to make our run to have the best record in the league or winning our division. This is our chance, and we know that, and we have to come with that sense of urgency."

Thirteen of the Wolves' final 20 games will be at the Target Center.