The 2004–05 NBA season was the 16th season for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association. After appearing in the Conference Finals last year, the Timberwolves played around .500 for the first half of the season. However, the team began to struggle losing six straight games between January and February, slipping below .500. After a 25–26 start, longtime head coach Flip Saunders was fired and replaced with General Manager Kevin McHale for the remainder of the season