Someone on staff -- at least he or she still was on staff Tuesday night -- had a sense of humor at Target Center, punching up R.E.M.'s "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" as the postgame serenade for fans shuffling out, glassy-eyed, after the Timberwolves' 115-106 embarrassment against the lowly Golden State Warriors.

Tom Petty ("Free Fallin' "), Humble Pie ("Thirty Days In The Hole") or even Frank Sinatra ("Drinking Again") would have worked, too, as the soundtrack to the Wolves' continuing crash-and-burn in what once was their most promising of all seasons.

Playoffs? Did someone say playoffs? Oh, they still probably will get there, they just might not want to unpack.

Let's put it this way: Over a span of 15 days, the Wolves had things set up way better than a playoff series. -They had seven home games, none against teams with a better record. They went 1-6.

Try that in a best-of-five series -- opening on the road against an elite opponent -- and summer will come head-snappingly fast.