The Minnesota Timberwolves Lose A Close One In Portland (124-118)

The Minnesota Timberwolves Lose A Close One In Portland (124-118)

Featured

by | Dec 10, 2022 | Featured, NBA

 

 

The Minnesota Timberwolves were coming into this back-to-back with a win against Utah. Tonight they ran into a Trailblazers team that was ready and waiting. The Timberwolves had 5 players in double digits as they were trying to slow down Portland. This was one of those games that were neck and neck the whole time as both teams were scoring at a high rate. Anthony Edwards was doing his part scoring and he’s been turning into a true two-way player right before our eyes. Anthony Edwards has been learning how to get into passing lanes and turning that into easy points. Edwards has been in a groove lately and he was able to finish with 26 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds on the night.

 

D’Angelo Russell has been on a roll with his scoring as of late in the 4th quarter. The Timberwolves needed it against Portland but you can’t get them every night. Russell did have a great game finishing with 24 points, 3 assists, and 1 rebound. When Russell has the chance to showcase his passing ability it puts the Timberwolves in a better position tonight they defended him with doubles preventing it. Rudy Gobert was matched up with Jusuf Nurkić on the night as both of them battled it out. Rudy finished with 24 points, 2 assists, and 9 rebounds but Portland made him work for every point. The Timberwolves needed some more points down the stretch and it comes down to taking care of the ball in crunch time. It’s all about taking care of the ball and playing at your own pace and the TrailBlazers had them speeding up the tempo. Once you speed the tempo up when you’re better in half-court it messes up the rhythm. The Timberwolves are going to be able to get some payback as they play the TrailBlazers again Monday.

 

Portland was still pissed off from losing to the Nuggets the other night and made it a point to win tonight. Damian Lillard came out firing and he was on his Dame Time from the jump. When Lillard is in a zone like he was in tonight it doesn’t matter who you have on him. The Timberwolves will definitely look at the footage and see how they can avoid that moving forward. On the night Damian Lillard had 36 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds. Dame was able to get his teammates involved early and he was able to get his offense going too. When Dame plays like this he makes the TrailBlazers a lot better and he gets his teammates to believe the same thing.

 

One of those players that have been believing that Portland can make some noise alongside Damian Lillard is Anfernee Simons. Tonight Simons had 31 points and was able to make the Timberwolves pay if they doubled Lillard. Simons has been able to make teams pay when they pay too much attention to Dame. If they both can play at this high level every night then the TrailBlazers can be a great pick to sneak into the playoffs just like Minnesota.

 

These two teams will go back at it for Round 2 on Tuesday as Minnesota tries to get an even split in this season series.

Dec 10, 2022 No Comments
Timberwolves Take Care Of Business In Gobert’s Return To Utah (118-108)

Timberwolves Take Care Of Business In Gobert’s Return To Utah (118-108)

Featured

by | Dec 9, 2022 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

The Minnesota Timberwolves came into this game after a big win against Indiana. This was a big game because this was Rudy Gobert’s first time back in Utah as a visitor after the blockbuster trade that shook up the NBA world. Rudy Gobert let it be known that Utah will always be home as he played in Utah for 9 years. The way he came out tonight and put on a show looked like he wanted to let the current Jazz team know it was still his house. The Jazz did a nice tribute for Rudy Gobert after the first timeout and they gave him a standing ovation. Rudy was able to get a dunk in the first play of the game, which set the stage for the rest of his dominant evening. There was no player on the Utah Jazz that was able to guard Rudy and it was undeniable. Rudy was able to get putbacks and was able to get position whenever he wanted in the paint against Kessler. On the night Rudy Gobert finished with 22 points & 13 rebounds and was able to set the tone for the night for Minnesota.

 

The players on the Timberwolves played off the energy of the crowd but also Rudy’s energy as they definitely had his back tonight. D’Angelo Russell has been putting on a show as he’s proving to everyone that he can be one of the best scorers in the NBA on this stretch he’s been on. Tonight the Jazz had one of his old teammates trying to guard him in Beasley/Conley/Clarkson. It doesn’t matter who’s guarding Russell when he’s in attack mode and he was able to showcase his mid-range tonight a couple of times as he slithered through the Jazz defense. When Russell’s transition sets up his offense like it did tonight he’s special to watch and he’s unstoppable. Russell has been a beast when it comes down to 2nd half as he was able to finish the game with 30 points, 2 assists, and 3 rebounds. Anthony Edwards struggled tonight from the field but still made a great addition on the defensive end. Overall the Timberwolves were able to come back and get this win especially after blowing a 15-point lead.

 

It seems as though the Timberwolves like to fight back in games instead of hold leads but they’re still getting the job done. The Timberwolves play in a back-to-back as they will be heading to Portland tomorrow. The Wolves will be looking to get another win in the win column as they look to build off tonight’s win.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Dec 9, 2022 No Comments
Primetime Preview: Las Vegas Raiders Vs Los Angeles Rams (TNF Week 14)

Primetime Preview: Las Vegas Raiders Vs Los Angeles Rams (TNF Week 14)

Featured

by | Dec 8, 2022 | Featured, NFL

It’s time for Week 14 in the NFL season and both of these teams are not where they expected to be. The Raiders brought in Coach McDaniels and Davante Adams to help Derek Carr but it was off to a rough start. As of late, the Raiders look to have found a nucleus that has worked despite injuries to Darren Waller/Hunter Renfrow. The Raiders have been leaning on Adams and the running game through Josh Jacobs. The LA Rams on the other hand just placed Matthew Stafford on injured reserve with a serious neck injury. It’s been tough because they also lost Cooper Kupp to a foot injury that has him on injured reserve as well. The Rams made headlines on Tuesday as they were the only NFL team to put in a waiver for Baker Mayfield who was released by the Carolina Panthers. The Rams look to throw Baker right into the mix and get him up to speed as they need good quarterback play if they even want a chance to creep into the postseason.

 

The Raiders have had a roller-coaster season as they’re (5-7) on the season and will be looking to make that 6 wins. Last week Derek Carr had 250 yards passing with 2 touchdowns against the Chargers. The Rams defense is a lot tougher on paper as they still have Jalen Ramsey who should be defending Davante Adams. Adams has surpassed 120 receiving yards in 4 of the last 5 games. The way he’s been able to get open against defenses has been nothing short of special. The Rams still don’t know if they will have Aaron Donald who’s been nursing an ankle injury. Josh Jacobs has been the true workhorse that the Raiders have needed him to be this season. Even with injuries and all he’s been able to put up monster numbers the past couple of weeks.

 

 

Jacobs has combined for 373 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns in the last two weeks. He will be looking to run against a Rams team that has been beaten up defensively. With the injuries in the offense, these 3 players have put the Raiders on their backs to make sure that they stay in playoff contention. On the defensive end, Max Crosby will be trying to get his hands on Baker Mayfield who will be thrown into the mix for the Rams. The Raiders secondary isn’t that bad but they need improvement going against a Rams team lacking their offensive starters can boost your confidence quickly. This will be one of those games that should put the Raiders back in the mix and they may be able to wiggle into the playoffs if things work out around the league. The Raiders will have to get it done on their end first and hope that the Rams who are out of the playoff hunt don’t spoil their chances.

 

 

The Rams will be starting either Baker Mayfield or John Wolford against the Raiders tonight. It will be a tough matchup because the Raiders are clicking on all cylinders and will be putting up points at a high clip. The Rams don’t have the offensive weapons to keep up but they will try. A positive for the Rams is the fact that Cam Akers has been resurging in this offense and he’s going to be the player they lean on if they want to make this interesting. The Rams will need to use the running game and the defense to keep Derek Carr off the field. Akers had 17 rushes for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns last week so look for that workload to increase.

 

The work will be there for Van Jefferson to flourish in this offense it’s just the fact we don’t know if the quarterback will have the chance to get it to him. The Rams defense still can ball as they have Ramsey and Wagner still being impactful. This will be a tough one as they look to slow down Jacobs and Adams which will be tough. Overall the Rams will be in a slugfest but if they want to win this game they will need to punch first and keep that momentum throughout the whole game. The Rams will need that home-field advantage to come in clutch tonight.

 

 

 

Score Prediction – Las Vegas Raiders 28, Los Angeles Rams 13

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images) & (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Dec 8, 2022 No Comments
Minnesota Timberwolves Get Thunderstruck Tonight By OKC (135-128)

Minnesota Timberwolves Get Thunderstruck Tonight By OKC (135-128)

Featured

by | Dec 4, 2022 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

The Minnesota Timberwolves came into this game against the Thunder fresh off a win against Memphis. It was going to be the 4th game without Karl-Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves had everything going for them tonight but ended up beating themselves. The Timberwolves established the inside game early as no one on the Thunder could slow down Rudy Gobert. The Thunder had no big man in the paint and it seemed as though Rudy was in store for a huge night. That was cut short as Rudy Gobert got into an altercation with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl where he tripped him and things got chippy. Rudy Gobert was hit with a flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from the game. After Rudy got ejected it looked as though the teams started playing at a high pace, especially in the transition game. As that transition game started going for OKC, so did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as he could score when he wanted. On the night Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 33 points, 6 assists, and 1 rebound. It didn’t matter who was guarding Shai tonight he made things effortless.

 

Shai was able to put the Thunder on his back and he showed true leadership tonight. The Thunder had 7 players in double figures tonight against the Timberwolves and showed a lot of balance scoring. Josh Giddey had himself a nice stat line as well with 21 points, 7 assists, and 12 rebounds tonight. Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander together will lead the Thunder into the future and that future is very bright. Every time the Timberwolves made a run in this game it seemed as though something went wrong. The Timberwolves had way too many technical fouls tonight (Gobert – Ejected, Russell – Ejected, Edwards, and Anderson) which made it tough for them to stay in this close game. D’Angelo Russell & Anthony Edwards carried the Timberwolves in scoring as they combined for 53 points. Overall the Timberwolves got out hustled in this one and Shai was able to hit some big shots down the stretch.

Dec 4, 2022 No Comments
Anthony Edwards Powers Minnesota To The Victory Over Memphis (109-101)

Anthony Edwards Powers Minnesota To The Victory Over Memphis (109-101)

Featured

by | Nov 30, 2022 | Featured, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

The Minnesota Timberwolves bounced back significantly after losing Karl-Anthony Towns to a calf strain. With Towns sidelined for about 4-6 weeks, it was time for his teammates to step up and they did just that tonight. Wendell Moore Jr got the surprise start tonight against the Grizzlies and his assignment was to guard Ja Morant. Moore Jr did a great job especially when it came to making it tough on Morant and getting back in transition. He might not have filled the stat sheet but he was able to make an impact from a game perspective. Morant and Brooks were ejected from the game as things got chippy, but before they exited the game, they finished with a combined 36 points, 9 assists, and 11 rebounds. Ja Morant was able to still get to the basket but he had to work for his 24 points tonight.

 

In the game, Morant had a crazy alley-oop dunk that got his team hyped and back into the game. Right after that Coach, Finch called the timeout and that’s when Anthony Edwards took over the game. The Grizzlies were hanging around all game long and when things tightened up that’s when Minnesota relies on Edwards. In the game, Anthony Edwards was using his defense to create offense as he was in the passing lanes and he was getting rebounds while starting the fast break. The Grizzlies had no answer for Edwards as he was giving any defender that wanted it buckets. During the game, Dillion Brooks got into a small altercation with Edwards that got him riled up and that woke up the inner beast. Edwards finished the game with 29 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds but was the focal point down the stretch. It’s to be noted that the Timberwolves got a huge contribution from Jaylen Nowell as he was able to drop 24 points off the bench.

 

It seemed like every time the Timberwolves needed a bucket they went to Nowell and he was able to deliver. The best thing about Nowell’s game is that he can come in cold but shoot like he’s hot. He’s been a true professional and showed tonight that no one is able to guard him one on one when he’s locked in. D’Angelo Russell was able to get his teammates involved as he was able to finish with 10 assists on the night. Russell’s one of the best passers in the game and when he can find his teammates in open or tight spaces it’s special and we witnessed that tonight. The Timberwolves got the OKC Thunder coming into town on Saturday and will look to make it two games in a row.

 

 

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Nov 30, 2022 No Comments