An exhausted Anthony Edwards made a point to promise a return to the Western Conference finals when the Minnesota Timberwolves were ousted from the NBA playoffs last year.

The West is heating up. With Minnesota already through and OKC on the brink, the stage is almost set. Here's when the battle for a Finals spot officially begins.

The Minnesota Timberwolves reached their first Western Conference finals in 20 years last season, then made one of the most controversial moves in franchise history by trading Karl-Anthony Towns. And now they're right back in the conference finals.