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
Minneapolis police suspect a driver was under the influence when he hit and killed a bicyclist on the city’s southside early Monday morning.
Officers responded to the crash at the intersection of Hiawatha Avenue and East 35th Street around 3 a.m., according to the Minneapolis Police Department.
Upon arrival, police found a man in his 50s suffering from apparent life-threatening injuries. Officers provided immediate medical aid, including CPR, before the man was transported to Hennepin Healthcare, where he later died.
The Minneapolis Police Department says that preliminary information indicates the driver, a 23-year-old man, had been traveling south on Hiawatha Avenue in a Ford Edge when he struck the bicyclist.
Officers arrested the driver and took him to the hospital, where police say “a search warrant for evidence collection was carried out.” Police later booked the driver into Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of criminal vehicular homicide.
The incident is still under investigation.
A rest area along Interstate 94 in Minnesota has been closed to trucks until about Independence Day to accommodate an almost $3 million improvement project.
The eastbound I-94 Enfield rest area between St. Cloud, Minnesota and the Twin Cities between Wright County Road 8 and Highway 25 is now closed to cars and commercial vehicles as crews resurface the entrance and exit ramps, and update nearby sidewalks.
According to KNSI, the full closure is just the first phase of the project. The rest area will reopen to passenger vehicles only the week of May 11th. During that time, the truck parking area will remain closed as crews repave the lot.
The truck parking lot will reopen the week of June 30th, right around Independence Day. During that time, the passenger vehicle area will be shut down to allow for the resurfacing of the lot. The Minnesota DOT expects the rest area to be fully open by late July. The entire project is expected to cost $2.9 million.
Drivers heading east on I-94 are encouraged to use the Big Spunk Lake rest area near Avon, or to drive a little farther out to the Elm Creek rest area.
Could a UCLA baseball team that’s perfect in Big Ten play get better?
Bruins coach John Savage thinks so, which is a frightening prospect for the rest of a seemingly overmatched conference.
While Savage’s top-ranked Bruins completed a three-game sweep of Minnesota on Sunday with a 5-2 victory at Jackie Robinson Stadium — stretching their Big Ten winning streak to 21 games — he said there’s more upside to be realized.
“Offensively, we just really couldn’t get a lot going,” Savage said after his team went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded six baserunners. “We just weren’t able to put a lot together, but when that pitching and defense shows up every day, it gives yourself a chance to win, and that’s kind of what we did all three games, really.”
Those elements were so good Sunday that they overshadowed Roman Martin’s solo homer in the third inning and Will Gasparino’s two-run shot in the sixth.
Bruins left fielder Dean West made three superb catches — two leaping and one diving — and four relievers combined to give up only one run in 4 ⅔ innings. Closer Easton Hawk needed only six pitches to record a 1-2-3 ninth inning while notching his third save in as many days.
Savage credited Minnesota’s pitching after the Golden Gophers (22-17 overall, 5-13 Big Ten) held the Bruins (36-3) to an average of five runs during the series and said many of his team’s offensive struggles were situational.
“We have very, very good offensive players — some of them are in … little ruts right now, but that’s OK,” Savage said. “These guys play a lot and get a lot of at-bats; there’s a lot of ups and downs.”
When it comes to UCLA’s conference record, it’s all been up.
What it means
UCLA’s sweep is further evidence that the Bruins aren’t getting complacent because of their record.
“This culture is really solid, and these guys truly believe in one another and they’re playing for the team,” Savage said. “We’re very fortunate to have this group, and so they love playing together, so there’s no complacency and there’s no reason to because we haven’t done anything; I mean, you’re 36-3, that’s great, but at the end of the day it’s about getting better and playing your best baseball the next 75 days.”
Turning point
Spotting a dominant team an early lead is never a good idea.
That’s what happened when the Bruins struck for two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
West led off with a single to center field, took third on Roch Cholowsky’s double to left and scored on a balk. With one out, Martin hit an RBI infield single off the pitcher’s glove. UCLA was up 2-0, and the Golden Gophers could never catch up.
Did you see that?
Minnesota did not like it when Gasparino admired his home run by lingering in the batter’s box before commencing his trot around the bases.
There was consensus in both dugouts because Savage also didn’t care for it.
“I thought he probably stayed in the box a little too long for me,” Savage said. “That’s kind of not who we are, and they didn’t like that; I wouldn’t like that either, really.”
MVP
West saved multiple extra-base hits with his catches.
Which was his favorite?
“Probably the diving one,” West said. “I think that was the coolest one. I got to leave my feet and make a play on it.”
Up next
The Bruins will open a five-game stretch of nonconference games when they host Hawaii on Tuesday evening at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
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