The Timberwolves 45 Point (115-70) Victory Forces Game 7 Against Denver

The Timberwolves 45 Point (115-70) Victory Forces Game 7 Against Denver

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The Minnesota Timberwolves came into Game 6 with their backs against the wall. This was the first must win game of the season as they face elimination. Nikola Jokic is coming off a monster 40 point performance and Minnesota needs to stop him in order to tie this up at 3-3.

Denver started the game on a 9-2 run as the defending champs came out on fire. The Timberwolves took that punch from Denver and countered with a 20-0 run. The Wolves had the ball moving on offense and on the defensive end no one was able to stop them. It was a balanced effort from everyone on the Timberwolves tonight but Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels showed up/showed out on both ends of the floor today. When Jaden McDaniels has his offense going to already add to his defense this team is scary. Jaden McDaniels was making it tough on Jamal Murray as he only finished with 10 points.

 

Jaden McDaniels is the X Factor in this series and Minnesota usually gets their game rolling as a whole when he’s locked in on both ends. Anthony Edwards was special tonight and he was able to get things going offensively. When Anthony Edwards plays at this elite level there’s no team that can stop him. The Nuggets tried to trap him and double him but Ant’s quickness was too much for the Nuggets as he was blowing by the Nuggets tonight. Edward’s and McDaniels combined for 48 points tonight and put on a two way clinic for the Target Center crowd.

The Nuggets just couldn’t get in a rhythm as the Wolves are bringing it back to Denver. Jokic had a decent game with the 22 points. The Timberwolves defense was swarming for Game 6 now they just need to bring that same energy/intensity to Game 7. If Anthony Edwards comes in on mission leading the charge Sunday it can be a long night for the Nuggets.

 

May 17, 2024 No Comments
Denver Nuggets Tie The Series (2-2) After Defeating Minnesota (115-107)

Denver Nuggets Tie The Series (2-2) After Defeating Minnesota (115-107)

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The Minnesota Timberwolves came into this game with the 2-1 lead as they were looking to go up 3-1 in the best of seven series. It was one of those games that was back and forth all night long.

The Denver Nuggets got a huge game from Aaron Gordon who finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. The game plan for the Timberwolves was simple let’s have Aaron Gordon try to beat us. From the looks of it that’s what happened as he was making some tough contested shots all night long. When a player is playing this good on the road all you can do is respect it. Once Gordon got his game going he was playing with confidence and that fed through his team. Every time the Timberwolves were trying to claw back into the game it seemed as though Nikola Jokic or Jamal Murray made some tough buckets.

Both Murray and Jokic combined for 54 points on the night but they were making some timely buckets. The Nuggets kept their foot on the gas for every single Timberwolves run as Minnesota just couldn’t break through.

The bright spot for the Minnesota Timberwolves was Anthony Edwards as he was able to put the team on his back. He gave it everything he had tonight in Target Center and needed just a little bit more help from his teammates as they could have pulled off the win. Anthony Edwards was able to score whenever he needed too as he finished with 44 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Timberwolves just needed someone to join him as they were able to make the right adjustments defensively. The Nuggets had just enough lead to keep the Wolves away.

Game 5 will be huge as both teams will look to come out executing at a high level. The Wolves just need someone to help Ant with scoring and they gotta lock in defensively if they want to make this series victory happen.

 

(Abbie Parr / Associated Press

 

May 13, 2024 No Comments
SneakerReporter 2023-24 NBA Playoffs: Western Conference Finals Prediction

SneakerReporter 2023-24 NBA Playoffs: Western Conference Finals Prediction

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The NBA playoffs are here and the playoff seeding is now set in stone. Eight NBA Teams from the Western Conference will fight for their right to reach the NBA finals this season.

 

 

 

No. 1 OKC Thunder Vs No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans

 

The Oklahoma City Thunder finished the season with the number one seed in the Western Conference as it came down to the last day of the NBA season. The Thunder are way ahead of schedule as they didn’t make the playoffs last season and this season they’re at the top of the conference. Huge shoutout to Sam Presti as he’s been able to make the great draft picks and he has added pieces like Gordon Hayward for veteran leadership when it’s needed. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the MVP in my eyes this season as he’s carried this OKC team throughout and has been able to have a career season with 30 PPG, 5.5 REB, 6.2 AST per game. The Thunder are the favorites in this mathcup against the Pelicans as Zion Williamson’s health will be a huge factor in this one as he got hurt in the play-in against the Lakers. The Thunder have the quickness and they have the youthful legs to out run the Pelicans in this series. If Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum can score 25+ per game this will give the Pelicans a chance to be close in this series. If Zion comes back this could be subject to change but SGA is on a mission this season and he’s one of the toughest to guard in the NBA. I don’t see any scernerio where Shai doesn’t average at least 35 points per game in this series because no one on the Pelicans can slow him down and that will open up things for Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Josh Giddey.

 

Series Prediction: Thunder win the series in six games (4-2)


 


No 2. Denver Nuggets vs No. 7 LA Lakers

 

The rematch of the Western Conference Finals from last year where the Denver Nuggets got rid of the Lakers in quick fashion. The Lakers have heard all the talk and what’s happened in the past but this is the playoffs now which is a new season. The Lakers are finally getting healthy as Gabe Vincent just returned and if Jared Vanderbilt can come back that will help as well. LeBron has been special all season and I expect for him to show up in a big way against the Nuggets as this will be looked at to me as a legacy series. LeBron can’t and won’t let the Lakers get swept and if that’s going to happen he needs Anthony Davis to be a monster in the paint against Nikola Jokic. Anthony Davis has to really step up against the Nuggets because LeBron can’t do this all by himself. If Anthony Davis gives the Lakers that double-double average with DLO and Reaves adding in the Lakers should be right where they need to be. The Nuggets are the defending champions and they will have the best player on the court with Nikola Jokic. If Joker controls the pace of the games in this series it’s going to be extrememly tough for the Lakers. The Lakers will need to control Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr in order to make this win happen. It’s going to be interesting to see how the Lakers play vs the champs. The Lakers are coming in hot and they have been waiting for the revenge and the Lakers also know that LeBron’s championship window is slightly closing. I think the Lakers have the better team and they can do the unthinkable. The Lakers just need to limit Nikola Jokic’s impact on the games and if they do that they will be in charge but you can’t let him average a triple double in the series because it could get ugly.

 

Series Prediction: Lakers win in six games (4-2)


 


No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves Vs No. 6 Phoenix Suns

 

The Minnesota Timberwolves led the West in the standings for majority of the year and showed that they can hang with anyone in the league. The only thing that they didn’t do this season was defeat the Phoenix Suns. It was a tough matchup during the season but I’m looking forward to the adjustments that Coach Finch will make in this series. The Timberwolves have a great team during play and on paper so they can get it done. The Timberwolves Karl Anthony-Towns is getting back into the groove of things after his knee injury. KAT had some time to get ready for this matchup and even Anthony Edwards said that they need KAT to be the MVP of this series. Anthony Edwards is the ultimate teammate and we know he will be trying to get his teammates involved but it’s also going to take him to be the man. Anthony Edwards has to make the right decisions in this series when he’s doubled so they can make the Suns pay. Anthony Edwards can get in takeover mode and if that happens the Suns can be in trouble too. Naz Reid is going to be the X-Factor for me in this series as I want to see him show the world what Minnesota has already knew and that’s the fact he can beat any mismatch thrown at him. The Timberwolves have the defensive anchor in Rudy Gobert to add that defense and if the Wolves can stay home and trust that defense that includes Jaden McDaniels they will be right where they need to be. This is going to be a tough series against the Suns but the Wolves can get it done. The Suns will look to continue to take advantage of the Mike Conley matchup during this series as Bradley Beal was able to shoot over Mike during the season but the Wolves will need to slow down KD, Booker, and Beal if they want to get the series win. Looking forward to this series and seeing what the Suns do without the bigs inside if Nurk gets in foul trouble. This is going to be a dogfight of a series so it can go either way but I’m going with the home court advantage in Minnesota.

 

Series Prediction: Timberwolves win in seven games (4-3).


 


No 4. LA Clippers Vs No. 5 Dallas Mavericks 

 

The Clippers are built for this moment and the addition of James Harden/Westbrook this year will come in clutch during the postseason. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have had a little trouble with this matchup in the past but the Clippers went and got Harden/Westbrook to help in those clutch moments. Those fou have a lot to prove as a unit and this will be the series they can do just that. Norman Powell has been amazing off the bench as well and he will be huge in this series as well from an offensive standpoint. The Mavericks have been hot this last month and Kyrie/Luka look to be clicking on all levels but so have the Clippers as they have finally gelled it all together. I’m looking for this to be a great series but the Clippers defense will show up big time in this one as they have what it takes to make it to the WCF but it will depend on the play and consistency. In the first round I see no issues getting past the Mavericks with the players on their roster that have already proven to be clutch in the postseason.

Series Prediction: Clippers win in six games (4-2)

Apr 20, 2024 No Comments
The Minnesota Lynx Draft Alissa Pili & Kiki Jefferson In The 2024 WNBA Draft

The Minnesota Lynx Draft Alissa Pili & Kiki Jefferson In The 2024 WNBA Draft

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The WNBA Draft came and went but one thing that will not leave us is the impact that all these women will have on the game. This 2024 Draft was stacked from Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Kamilla Cardoso just to name a few. The Minnesota Lynx traded the 7th pick yesterday to move back one spot to go to the 8th pick. With the 8th pick in the WNBA Draft the Minnesota Lynx selected Alissa Pili who’s one of the best scorers in the whole country. Pili can score inside and outside the paint with ease. Pili has been a beast in the paint and she will bring a lot of interior toughness to this Lynx team that already has some great players. Alissa will be a great asset to the Lynx and you can tell she’s a hard worker and ready to get into this training camp to be around her new teammates. Alissa will be a great addition and she will open things up for McBride, Collier, and Miller when it comes to perimeter game/spacing. In college Alissa Pili averaged 21.4 PPG which was 13th in the whole country and 6.6 REB. The Lynx can use another front court player and this is exactly what the doctor ordered for the team with Dorka still progressing into a great two way player as well. Both Pili and Dorka will help each other out in the front court. I’m looking forward to see how Coach Reeve utilizies Alissa Pili in the rotation as she could be the steal of the draft at #8.

The Minnesota Lynx also drafted Kiki Jefferson with the 31st pick in the draft and Kiki averaged 12.3 PPG at Louisville. Kiki will bring some depth to the rotation with the Lynx losing Rachel/Lindsey/Tiffany so this was a great pickup of value extremely late in the draft. The future is bright in Minnesota and I’m excited to see what happens during training camp.

Apr 15, 2024 No Comments