The Minnesota Timberwolves Fall Short Tonight To The Bulls (109-101)

The Minnesota Timberwolves Fall Short Tonight To The Bulls (109-101)

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The Minnesota Timberwolves needed one win to be able to clinch their spot in the NBA Playoffs. All the Timberwolves needed to do was beat the Chicago Bulls tonight. The Bulls are playing tough but still far away from where they want to be especially with Lonzo Ball coming back next season.

The Timberwolves were in a dogfight all night with the Chicago Bulls from the beginning of the game. Alex Caruso started the game 6/6 from the 3 point line and was making some shots that he doesn’t normally make at that consistent rate. The Wolves gave him some wide open looks and he took advantage of it but just as his offense was good it was his defense as well. Caruso has become an elite defender and he has improved on the offensive end as well. On the night Caruso finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

The Chicago Bulls had a 16 point lead in this game at one point and DeMar DeRozan was a huge reason for that as he was able to get to his spots all night long. It didn’t matter who was guarding DeMar tonight from the Timberwolves it was either going in or he was finding a way to get to the line. DeRozan is one of the games best in the mid range and it seemed like every time the Wolves made a run he was able to hit a big shot. DeRozan finished with 27 points, 2 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Bulls had all five of their starters in double figures tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves and stayed the course throughout the evening. One thing that was learned about the Bulls is that they’re scrappy and they will defend/hustle when it comes to making winning plays.

The Timberwolves struggled tonight in the beginning of the game and were able to make some great adjustments in the 2nd half. Rudy Gobert had his fingerprints all over the game as he was able to dominate in the paint tonight against Drummond. It was Rudy that got the team going in that 2nd half and he was able to notch another double-double as he finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony Edwards had another quiet night and had some miscues but it’s better to see this now than in the NBA Playoffs. Mike Conley had 19 points tonight for the Timberwolves and he’s been that consistent player that Coach Finch can go to when it comes to making winning plays and getting the team back on track.

The Timberwolves will try to bounce back and get back on track as they have Houston coming in Tuesday followed by Toronto on Wednesday. They are still looking to clinch a playoff berth and it should be coming one of those days.

 

(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

 

Mar 31, 2024 No Comments
The Timberwolves Get Their 50th Win Of The Season After Beating Detroit (106-91)

The Timberwolves Get Their 50th Win Of The Season After Beating Detroit (106-91)

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The Minnesota Timberwolves came into this game looking to make things closer in the NBA Western Conference standings. The Timberwolves would be able to get in within a half game from 1st place with a win. The Timberwolves had everyone available besides Karl-Anthony Towns and the Detroit Pistons were without Jaden Ivey. Cade Cunningham was a game time decision as well but he was able to go through pregame warmups and he is good to go.

This game started out neck and neck as the Timberwolves found themselves in an early dogfight against the Pistons. Cade Cunningham came to play tonight and he was hitting some tough contested shots against the Timberwolves number one defense in the NBA. It was impressive to watch Cade Cunningham on the offensive end as he was able to put the Pistons on his back all night. Cade has improved on his jumper and he was a problem for the Timberwolves. The Wolves put Jaden McDaniels on him and a sprinkle of Anthony Edwards but Cade was still finishing. The Pistons are a long way away but with Cade Cunningham heading this ship they should be back to those Bad Boys days really soon. On the night Cade Cunningham finished with 32 points and he almost willed the Pistons to a close victory before the Timberwolves were able to pull away. The future is bright in Detroit moving forward and with the tutelage of Monty Williams they should be back to winning ways. I look at the rebuild in Detroit like the one that’s happening in Houston right now and all they need is some veterans to come in and help the young core out.

The Timberwolves didn’t get much from Anthony Edwards tonight but that shows how much fire power this Timberwolves team has this year. Edwards had a quiet game and others stepped up which we don’t know if that would of happened in the past. Ant Man will rise to the occasion when it matters in April as he’s locked in for the playoff push. Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels stepped up in a huge way on the offensive end as well as the defensive end. Tonight Naz and Jaden combined for 41 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Timberwolves were able to take over the game on 2nd chance points as they were able to out hustle Detroit tonight. Naz Reid has taken that step in his game and it has been a huge help. Since KAT got injured Naz has stepped right in to help take the scoring load off Anthony Edwards shoulders. Rudy Gobert had a great outing tonight as he was able to get another double-double on the season. This team is clicking at the right time and the Wolves have the Nuggets next on friday as this will be huge going towards their playoff seeding.

This postseason is going to be great and these last 10 games will tell us everything we need to know about the Timberwolves ASAP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Mar 28, 2024 No Comments
Minnesota Timberwolves Lose A Nail Bitter To The Denver Nuggets (115-112)

Minnesota Timberwolves Lose A Nail Bitter To The Denver Nuggets (115-112)

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The Minnesota Timberwolves have been hot as of late and were coming back home to play in front of the home crowd which felt like forever. The Timberwolves had the defending champion Denver Nuggets in town after playing in Utah the night before. Minnesota would be going into this matchup without Rudy Gobert (Rib) and Naz Reid (Head) injuries.

The Timberwolves came out a little flat in this game as the Denver Nuggets had the game in full control on both ends. Jokic was a complete monster inside the paint all night as the Timberwolves were without their bigs. One of the bright spots tonight was the minutes that Luka Garza was able to get and how affective he was for the Wolves. Luka did the best he could against the former MVP Nikola Jokic but that wasn’t enough to hold him down. Jokic finished the game with 35 points, 16 rebounds, and 2 assists.

One thing about Jokic’s game is he can adapt to any situation because if he needs to score he can and if he needs to get his teammates involved he can do that as well. Without Gobert the defensive anchor in the lineup Jokic made it tough all night long. His teammate Michael Porter Jr was special tonight and was able to hit some timely shots that gave the Nuggets some confidence when the Timberwolves were making their run.

Anthony Edwards & Jaden McDaniels combined for 56 points on the night and it was a beautiful sight to see. This type of night will boost the confidence of McDaniels adding this to his already all team defense. The Nuggets weren’t able to slow down Anthony Edwards in this one either until the 4th quarter where they made some adjustments. Jaden McDaniels hit some jump shots that kept the Timberwolves in the game. The Timberwolves were able to slow down Jamal Murray but it was Michael Porter Jr that got it going and really stopped the Timberwolves comeback as he finished with 26 points to finish the night.

The Nuggets will face off against the Timberwolves within the next month and I’m looking forward to it being a rematch that the NBA will need their popcorn for as well.

 

 

(Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

Mar 20, 2024 No Comments
The Minnesota Timberwolves Lose A Tough One To The Clippers (89-88)

The Minnesota Timberwolves Lose A Tough One To The Clippers (89-88)

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The Timberwolves came into this game with the Clippers trying to get back in the win column after their loss to Sacramento on Friday. All of the Timberwolves players were back in the lineup ready to go. The Clippers took a huge blow the other night losing Russell Westbrook to a fractured hand. So they were without “The Brodie” for this matchup.

This was a defensive battle here at Target Center as both teams were trying to figure each other out. Kawhi Leonard was able to start attacking and getting to his spots against the Timberwolves defense. It seemed as though the rest of the Clippers knew that Kawhi was feeling it and was letting him cook. Today Kawhi took 26 shots and made 12 as he finished the game with a game high 32 points. Some of the contested shots that Kawhi was making tonight reminded me of his championship run in Toronto. Harden was able to feed Kawhi in this game right where he needed it as he finished with 10 assists. The Timberwolves were getting caught in screen movements and flares when Kawhi had the ball and he was able to make them pay.

Norman Powell had himself a game off the bench channeling his inner Malik Monk from the other game Minnesota had on Friday. Norman was hitting some tough contested jumpers and went 6-8 from the 3 point line. His scoring alone helped catapult the Clippers to the win because without his scoring this would be a lopsided score. Norman Powell gave Coach Ty Lue some great minutes tonight and made winning plays tonight alongside Kawhi Leonard and that’s why they were able to sneak out of Minnesota with the win.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were able to hang around in this game. Karl-Anthony Towns started out hot with 12 points in the first quarter but then he fizzled out with only 6 points the remainder of the game. KAT has the ability to take over a game just had to get more looks because the Clippers had Powell/Mann on him during switches. I’m sure the Wolves will look back at some of those missed opportunities with KAT. Rudy finished with a double double today with 12 points and 16 rebounds as he made sure that the Clippers didn’t beat them inside. Rudy Gobert shut down Zubac as he only had 2 points today. Rudy had 3 blocks in this game and was leading that defensive charge. Anthony Edwards had a quiet 27 points on the night but the competitiveness in him really wanted that one. Ant was able to hit some big shots for the Timberwolves throughout the game to keep things close but at the end the Clippers came out on top.

The Timberwolves have the Portland Trailblazers coming to town tomorrow as they will be playing in another back to back while looking to get back in the win column.

Photo Credit: (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Mar 3, 2024 No Comments
Malik Monk’s 39 Point Performance Off The Bench Propels The Kings To Victory Over Minnesota In OT (124-120)

Malik Monk’s 39 Point Performance Off The Bench Propels The Kings To Victory Over Minnesota In OT (124-120)

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The Sacramento Kings came into this game without their All Star De’Aaron Fox who’s been nagged by injury as of late. That means that the Timberwolves were going to be expecting a heavy dose of Domantas Sabonis tonight. On the flip side the Timberwolves came into the game healthier compared to the past games.

This was one of those grind out games as the Kings came in here on a mission. Sacramento’s plan was to out run the Timberwolves and simply try to beat them with pace. Sabonis started the game off on fire as he was able to have his prints all over the game. He was able to display his rebounding and passing ability but also was able to get to the rim when needed. Sabonis made the Timberwolves pay in transition as he was grabbing the rebound and running the point at the same time. Defensively Sabonis is a tough guard and he made Rudy Gobert work tonight. Sabonis finished the game with 21 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists but the night belonged to his teammate Malik Monk.

Tonight Malik Monk came in and gave them instant offense as he was able to finish with 39 points for the Kings. It’s crazy to think he’s coming off the bench after watching his shooting display tonight. Monk was able to get to his spots off the dribble and make them pay for it. Also Monk was found open a couple of times as well when and made some huge jumpers when the Kings needed it. This game had Malik Monk’s hands all over it but the best part about tonight was the leadership that he showed when Sabonis fouled out the game in overtime. Malik Monk was able to get to his spots and really put the Kings on his back down the stretch with tough shots.

The Minnesota Timberwolves came up short tonight in overtime but Jaden McDaniels had his best game of his young career with 26 points on the night. McDaniels was able to knock down shot after shot tonight when the team needed it and he was still playing elite defense. When Anthony Edwards who finished with 11 points left the game for personal reasons it was Jaden McDaniels who took over the game. This wasn’t one of Karl-Anthony Towns best shooting nights but he finished with 19 points and Naz Reid 18 points. The Wolves had a chance to tie the game in overtime but Naz Reid missed the 3 point attempt.

Rudy Gobert had a double-double in action tonight too with 16 points and 16 rebounds. As long as he’s healthy with the rest of this team they will be a tough out but the Kings got the best of them tonight.

Look for the Timberwolves to bounce back against the LA Clippers at home on Sunday. Let’s also hope that Anthony Edwards is back in the lineup ready to go.

 

(Credit) Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

 

Mar 1, 2024 No Comments