Minnesota
Recap: Denver Nuggets take first with 116-107 victory over Minnesota Timberwolves
Apr 10, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (8) reacts after his dunk in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 in the regular season finale at Ball Arena to take over first place in the West, with just two games to go against conference bottom-feeders. Beat San Antonio and Memphis and they’ll clinch the title and home court advantage through at least the conference finals.
The game seemed less a battle of titans than of chess masters matching wits. For three quarters the game lacked passion and athletic displays, which turned out to be in favor of Denver (56-24), the ultimate thinking man’s team. Simply, Nikola Jokic and his cerebral teammates dissected the talented Wolves, now 55-25. The Nuggets displayed a master class of defense during the fourth quarter, announcing to the NBA that you might not like it, but they are the team to beat because when it comes down to it, they can turn it on.
Got Ball Arena jumpin’ tonight
Jok: 41 PTS / 11 REB / 7 AST / 3 STL
Mal: 20 PTS / 4 REB / 6 AST / 4-3PM
MPJ: 18 PTS / 8 REB / 2 AST pic.twitter.com/OxpPi8yB03— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 11, 2024
First Quarter
Both teams started the game by feeling each other out. Instead of one team dominating, it felt more exploratory. It started out as a cleanly played game without mistakes. Jamal Murray and KCP hit corner threes, and OMG so did Jaden McDaniels, proving once again a rando scores against us against all odds. Naz Reid picked up the Jokic turnover and had a nice slam. At 5 minutes left, Jokic hit a three, pulling Rudy Gobert into spaces he didn’t want to be. After a turnover, MPJ pulled up for a baby 15-footer that he made, and Twolves coach Finch called a timeout.
Ex-Nugget Monte Morris hit a couple threes, but Coach Malone left Jokic in the game to play with Peyton Watson, Christian Braun, Reggie Jackson and Justin Holiday until the last minute. The quarter ended with Minnesota leading 28-26. Twolves were 12 for 23 and the Nugs 11 for 23. There were only two free throws in the quarter, one each missed by Pope and Jokic. The Nuggets finished the quarter with 8 fastbreak points to the Wolves’ 2, and Finch observed, “They’re playing with a sense of urgency in transition.” So much for any worries that the Twolves might want this one more than the defending champs did.
Tight game after one #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/zgdQUlhM1t
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 11, 2024
Second Quarter
Aaron Gordon started the quarter playing center, the tried-and-true Malone move in big games. But it was PSwat bringing the defensive energy, stuffing SloMo at the rim, somehow. Holiday hit a nice 3 from the quarter at 10:25. Watson made another spectacular block at 9:31 on SloMo and got hit with a foul, bad call that put Minnesota on the free-throw line for the first time in the game. SloMo will be seeing PSwat in his nightmares.
Three blocks in five minutes for Swatson 🚫 pic.twitter.com/MEwhFsvLFm
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 11, 2024
Gordon, with new suction cup hickeys on his shoulders, turned the ball over. Rusty, perhaps. The Wolves went on a 6-point run to make it 36-33. A low score looming. The Nuggets bench offense was incompetent, Jackson just 1-6 shooting in desperate iso moves, forcing Malone to sub Jokic back in with 7:20 to go. The Nuggets offense with the starters stalled. The Nuggets fumbled the ball around for five turnovers that gave the Wolves a 10-nothing run over 4:30 minutes. Murray stopped the pain with a 3-pointer. The Wolves finished the quarter playing good defense, capitalizing on their length and stuffing the Nugs. SloMo guarded Jokic and Gobert played volleyball on the back line. That’s the classic Jokic defense if our shooters aren’t hitting off his passes. Score 52-49, Minny, and only seven free throws between the two teams, a sure sign of a shortage of aggression.
Third Quarter
Edwards and Murray traded in-your-face threes. And finally the Jokic Gordon alley oop play hit to light up the Ball Arena crowd. Anthony Edwards showed that he’s too strong for KCP, bullying him in the paint. Edwards made two on the foul call. Conley’s threes continued, annoyingly. At around 7 minutes Denver made a push. Jokic got fouled but made the push shot off the Murray feed to make it 64-62 with 7:37 to go in the third. At about 6 minutes left, Naz Reid made a killer layup that hurt the Nuggets. The intensity of the game ramped up as the quarter ended. Jokic tied the game when he rolled into the paint, accepted a KCP pass, got submarined by SloMo and made the shot anyway. Joker finished the quarter with 32 points so far in the game, 15 in the quarter. Denver outscored MIN 34-28 during the quarter and took an 83-80 lead into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
Jokic took his well-deserved rest and the Nuggets seemed severely short, with Porter and Gordon the only bigs on the front line. Rudy was totally in the roaming mode, not what the Nugs wanted. At 9 minutes, PSwat got his fifth block of the game, and Braun blocked the putback right after that. A key Porter putback on a Gordon miss gave the Nuggets a 4-point lead, causing Finch to call timeout.
Jokic returned at 7:31 with the Nuggets up 91-87. The bench was plus-1 in the non-Jokic minutes during the quarter. Denver worked the score to 93-87 and ran it up from there. Braun and Watson were beasts down the stretch, dunking at will, thrilling the Ball Arena crowd.
Conclusion
The Nuggets played all their starters. Clearly, they wanted this game. They got it. Any questions, NBA? Edwards minus 17 along with the rest of the Wolves starters with similar plus-minus numbers. This game, one that mattered, has to weigh on the minds of the Timberwolves players, organization and their fans. Nothing but respect for the team and its great and faithful fan base. But. Can the Wolves get it done when it matters? They have built a magnificent team. But there’s that Denver thing. That Jokic and Murray thing.
WE’RE READY!!! Be at your best when your best is needed! 🎱 #MileHighBaby https://t.co/BFqKAGYJLF
— Peyton Watson (@peytonwatson_) April 11, 2024
Minnesota
Minnesota cannabis store owners lament testing backlog: “It’s getting frustrating for everyone involved”
One of five cannabis testing sites in Minnesota is shutting down, citing exorbitant costs as the reason.
William Drexler is moving product he has around as he waits patiently for more. He says customers who come into Grey Area, on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, are looking for adult-use items, which he says are being held up by a backlog in testing.
“We haven’t had problems with drinks or edibles yet, but for the adult-use products that where we’ve seen the delays, like your pre-rolls, your flowers, we haven’t even gotten pens in yet,” Drexler said.
He says getting cannabis products in his store has been an issue since he got his license to sell them a few months ago.
“I’ve heard pretty much from every vendor that it’s testing that we are waiting on. That’s been the normal thing to hear, and week by week they may say, ‘it’s next week,’ and that can delay into the following week. So at this point I don’t think many of them are giving a date,” he said.
He anticipates getting those products will take even longer now that one of the testing sites is no longer testing.
In a statement, Legends Technical Services said, “under the current regulatory framework, we do not foresee an ability to continue to meet our client expectations in an economically viable manner. “
“We’ve already seen testing delays from the get go, so vendors aren’t really giving us time frames because they are probably hearing different time frames themselves,” Drexler said. “It’s getting frustrating for everyone involved.”
For now, Drexler contacts growers to see how long before his shelves are in full bloom.
“These companies here, it’s the same story kind of from them when we contact them. ‘Hey, we need more product. We’re hoping for new [product] soon, but it’s coming out of testing soon,’” he said.
WCCO has reached out to Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management for comment on the backlog.
Minnesota
Jack Leiter’s struggles at home give Minnesota Twins a pitching edge in American League clash
Every year, I feel like I end up locking on certain pitchers and teams and bet them more than others. It almost never is intentional; usually, I find a team or player I like, we win with them consistently, and I ride the horse until it is time to get off. That’s a bit of how I feel with both the Twins and Rangers who battle in this one.
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I have said that the Chicago White Sox are the biggest surprise in all of baseball, but the Minnesota Twins might be willing to make a strong argument about it. This was a year that the Twins were supposed to be garbage and be more likely to trade people away (like they did last year) than they would be looking to make a move for the club. I can’t say it is entirely due to Byron Buxton, one of the names floated in trade rumors last year and in the offseason, but he is having a great campaign and has the Twins just five games below .500.
Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn., on June 21, 2022. (David Berding/Getty Images)
One of the other guys that you can attribute the success of this year to is today’s starter, Joe Ryan. If the Twins do decide to take Ryan to the market, he will have many suitors and should bring back a big haul. Ryan has posted a 4-3 record with a 3.17 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. He has been slightly worse on the road than at home, but it hasn’t been a significant issue. He was great in May, posting a 1.73 ERA, but June has seen him make three starts and allow eight earned runs, including four homers. Rangers hitters have struggled significantly against him, hitting just .143 against him.
The Texas Rangers are still in the mix for the American League West division. Before you say, “Well, yeah, it’s only the middle of June.” I bring this up because they are just two games back of the Mariners, and the Rangers really haven’t played all that well this season. I think there is a lot of potential for this team to add a bat, and he could make a major difference. If they added Buxton, for example, the Rangers might be the favorite to win the division given how everyone else is playing.
Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter delivers a pitch to the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on May 31, 2026. (Jim Cowsert/Imagn Images)
I’m not trying to discuss hypothetical trades, though. The pitching staff might be enough to carry them to a Wild Card or division title anyway. Today’s starter, Jack Leiter, isn’t the best on the roster, but he’s been good. Leiter is 3-6 with a 4.86 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. At home, he has been okay, going 2-2 with a 4.14 ERA. He has allowed four or more earned runs in seven of his 14 outings. Twins hitters are batting .417 against Leiter in just 12 at-bats, with Buxton going 2-for-2 with a double, a homer and three RBIs.
I think it probably makes sense to play Buxton to get 2+ bases here today. I get that he probably did all of this damage to Leiter in one game, but it is still worth seeing if he can get it done. He is having a good season, and Leiter isn’t a guy who is going to make you nervous very often about throwing zeroes.
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Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins jogs off the field after the fifth inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 15, 2025. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
I also think we probably should play the game overall. I think the Twins are the correct side in this game. There are a lot of times that I’d back the Rangers, as I think they have the better overall team, but in this one, the pitching mismatch is too strong. Give me the Ryan-led Twins, through five, on the moneyline.
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For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
Minnesota
End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum packs big history into small-town Minnesota
City parks are all across Minnesota. But a town in Murray County has one that’s gone off its rails.
Currie, Minnesota, is truly small-town America. The population hovers at just over 200. But on the northern outskirts, you’ll happen upon a place with plenty of bells and whistles: End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum.
“It’s like a little village from way back when. You have your church. You’ve got a school,” said visitor Larry Diedrich.
You’ve also got railroad relics, up and down the tracks.
“1901 was when the first line was put in here,” said Jake Halverson, site manager for End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum.
Halverson said Currie was once a thriving railroad town. In fact, it was the end of the line for steam engines heading west. If you wanted to go east, Currie was your gateway to the rest of the world. The first stop was Bigham Lake.
“From Bigham Lake they could go to Minneapolis, from Minneapolis to Chicago, from Chicago to New York,” said Halverson.
But by mid-century the last train had left the station. No sooner did that happen than teenagers from the local 4H club began to clean up the abandoned turntable.
The platform was used to turn 400,000-pound steam engines around when they hit the end of the line. Thanks to the 4Hers, it still works today.
The club also bought the train depot for $1 from the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company and moved it closer to the turntable.
“That is really the beginning of maybe bringing more attention to the history of the railroad here,” said Halverson.
It’s history that comes in all shapes and sizes, including a model railroad that’s a replica of a time that was.
“It was built to look like what Currie was 100 years ago,” said Halverson.
Much of what you see at the park and museum is original, including a 125-year-old water tower that was moved to the site from Walnut Grove.
The caboose nearby originally came from South Dakota. The locomotive once ran in Georgia.
The rail business may have left Currie, but the love for trains never did. It’s a chance to celebrate big history in a small town.
“Wherever there have been trains, there have been people who are fascinated by them,” said Halverson. “I think this is an opportunity for individuals to learn about not only this part of Minnesota but to know where this part of Minnesota fits in with the rest of the world.”
The End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum is open from Wednesday through Sunday from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.
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