Connect with us

Minnesota

3 (or more) takeaways from Brooklyn Nets’ 96-94 loss to Minnesota Timberwolves: Are we there yet?

Published

on

3 (or more) takeaways from Brooklyn Nets’ 96-94 loss to Minnesota Timberwolves: Are we there yet?


Believe it or not, there were positive takeaways from the Brooklyn Nets’ 96-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, their third straight loss that dropped their record to 17-27, now firmly in the dregs of the Eastern Conference.

Once again, the defense switched many-a-ball-screen, with great success. Holding the Western Conference’s one-seed to just 96 points in 48 minutes of play boosted Brooklyn’s defense to sixth in the month of January, as they continue to morph into the team we expected in the preseason.

Their strength is now on the defensive end of the court, after two months of ill-fated drop coverage led to a barrage of 3-pointers for the opposition, they’re now suckering teams into isolation basketball, and are keeping the ball in front.

Clax keeps on keeping on

That’s largely true of Nic Claxton, who slowed down sure-to-be All-Star Anthony Edwards down the stretch on Thursday night, in turn grinding Minnesota’s offense to a halt. The ship has probably sailed on Claxton receiving any recognition for his defense at the end of the season, given Brooklyn’s poor start on that end and subpar record, but the 6’11” lefty is still a joy to watch,

Advertisement

This is why he’s going to get paid the big bucks, whether by the Nets or another franchise:

Premium switching and good-if-not-great drop defense makes Clax one of the most valuable defenders in the league, which we saw as part of his 16/11/4/2/2 line vs. the Wolves. Unfazed by Minny’s super-sized front-court of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, Clax was Brooklyn’s best player by a wide margin.

Killa Cam going downhill

Elsewhere, Cam Thomas had a couple drives that showcased the most tantalizing part of his potential. No, not the tough shotmaking, which is a ceiling-raiser but still the cherry on top of what drives Thomas on his best nights: his ability to get downhill.

Thomas shot just 7-of-15, an average night for the young guard but made up for it with a 10-of-10 performance from the free-throw line. He decided to get by his primary defender and into the paint as soon as he checked into the ballgame on Thursday night, and even with five turnovers, the aggressiveness was often welcome for a Nets team that struggles in that area.

Here he is blowing by Jaden McDaniels for a layup:

Advertisement

That’s the good stuff.

Advertisement

The bland leading the bland

But ultimately, Claxton’s production and flashes from Thomas were just band-aids on Brooklyn’s gushing wounds at this point in the season, They feel pointless.

Barclays Center was dead for much of Thursday’s action, despite their Nets hanging in there until the final possession against the West’s top team. Following a New York Knicks takeover, the home fans were subdued against Minnesota, expecting a loss for much of the night.

It’s not just the talent level for Brooklyn, it’s the play-style as well. There is almost nothing interesting going on with this team from an X’s and O’s standpoint. Mikal Bridges and yes, even Cam Johnson will be better for this stretch when the Nets eventually, hopefully, swing major trades for big-time offensive creators and/or get the old Ben Simmons back.. Bridges in particular has clearly leveled up his offensive game in the year he’s been a Net, though the counting stats won’t show it.

Yet, the offense is a drag to watch, particularly when Spencer Dinwiddie isn’t providing much. And Brooklyn doesn’t do much to make up for that talent deficit; there’s no creativity in the offense, no plan-of-attack outside of pick-and-rolls and dribble-handoffs at chosen defenders, the occasional veer screen or exit screen out-of-timeout play notwithstanding.

————————————————————-

Advertisement

So outside of the Twins, who is benefitting by being a Net? Is it Cam Thomas? Is it Lonnie Walker IV, who didn’t shoot well vs. the Wolves but played just 14 minutes, stuck behind two guards on the bench alone? Doesn’t seem like it.

A one-point loss to Minnesota, a decent outcome that highlighted an improved defense, was another display of Brooklyn’s current situation. They need the trade deadline to liven up, they may even need the offseason.

This was always the danger of a transition year with minimal offensive talent on the roster, that waiting for a superstar to ask out as the next step in a long-term plan would produce a miserable product and depress team-wide morale in the short-term:

…All that plus the fan experience rooting for a team whose present is pointless, whose future needs to arrive as soon as possible.

The Nets have real players, Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton among them. Mikal Bridges too, missed free-throws in the clutch aside. Hell, even Cam Johnson is a valuable NBA player; 6’8” shooters that can defend at a reasonable levels don’t grow on trees. (And they often look better in viable offenses with real creators.)

Advertisement

But Brooklyn is stuck in a waiting game. A self-imposed one, the consequence of refusing to rebuild when given the opportunity. The Minnesota game is just another tough loss to flush, another 48 minutes of basketball closer to the trade deadline, closer to the end of a painful season. Alas, something to look forward to.



Source link

Minnesota

Shorthanded Clippers can’t keep pace with Anthony Edwards and Minnesota

Published

on

Shorthanded Clippers can’t keep pace with Anthony Edwards and Minnesota


Anthony Edwards scored 31 points, Donte DiVincenzo added 18 and the surging Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Clippers 94-88 on Thursday night.

Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 12 points and Rudy Gobert had 13 rebounds to help the Timberwolves improve to 5-1 since Feb. 9 and 3-1 since the All-Star break.

Edwards, returning to the site of the All-Star Game, where he was the MVP, was 12 for 24 from the floor and sealed the victory with a step-back three-pointer over two defenders for a 92-88 lead with 42.9 seconds left.

Advertisement

Minnesota improved to 2-0 on a three-game trip.

Derrick Jones Jr. scored 18 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 14 for the Clippers, who struggled from the outset with a season-low 38 points in the first half. Kris Dunn had 11 points for the Clippers (27-31), who have lost three consecutive games for the first time since December.

The Clippers struggled on offense without star Kawhi Leonard, out because of ankle soreness. The Clippers shot 40.5% from the floor, including 18.2% (four for 22) in the second quarter. Minnesota shot 43.4% in the game.

The Timberwolves (37-23) scored just 15 points in the second quarter and still topped the Clippers, who had 11. Minnesota led 44-38 at halftime behind 12 points from DiVincenzo and 11 from Edwards.

Advertisement

The Clippers led by six in the third quarter and were up 68-63 heading into the fourth. Edwards’ drive and reverse layup put the Timberwolves up for good at 76-74 with 7:40 remaining.

The Clippers pulled within one three times in the last 2½ minutes, but Edwards answered each time. He scored the Timberwolves’ last nine points.

Up next for Clippers: vs. New Orleans on Sunday night.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Minnesota

Church congregant filed lawsuit against alleged Minnesota church protesters

Published

on

Church congregant filed lawsuit against alleged Minnesota church protesters


A St. Paul church member has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a group of individuals, including journalist Don Lemon and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, unlawfully disrupted service last month as part of a coordinated political demonstration.

The complaint, filed by Ann Doucette in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, alleges that a Jan. 18 demonstration at Cities Church interfered with her ability to worship and caused her to suffer damages, including emotional distress and trauma.

In addition to the former CNN anchor and Armstrong, the complaint names journalist Georgia Fort and activists Will Kelly, Jerome Richardson, Trahern Crews and Jamael Lundy. It also names St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Allen.

Doucette and seven of the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Doucette filed the complaint without the representation of an attorney. In an emailed statement to NBC News, Crews denied the lawsuit’s allegations “with empathy and compassion.”

Advertisement

The lawsuit accuses the group of civil conspiracy, aiding and abetting, intentional infliction of emotional distress, interference with religious exercise and trespassing.

“As a result of Defendants’ actions, the worship service was disrupted, congregants experienced fear and distress, and Plaintiff’s ability to freely exercise her religion in a private place of worship was unlawfully interfered with,” the lawsuit states.

All eight defendants are also facing federal charges for conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and for interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom. Lemon has pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying outside the court, “I wanted to say this isn’t just about me, this is about all journalists, especially in the United States.”

Fort, Crews and Lundy were released on bond and entered not guilty pleas, according to The Associated Press.

Don Lemon reporting from an anti-ICE demonstration at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn.@TheDonLemonShow via YouTube

This is the latest legal action tied to protests in the Twin Cities, where tensions remain over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Advertisement

According to the lawsuit, the demonstrators engaged in “coordinated conduct” by organizing meetings ahead of the “Operation Pullup” protest and promoting it on social media.

The lawsuit alleges that on the morning of Jan. 18, a coordinated group of individuals entered Cities Church, halting the worship service, and chanting “‘ICE Out!’ and ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!’” while obstructing aisles. Protesters could allegedly be seen “confronting the pastor and congregants in a menacing manner,” the lawsuit says, noting that their chanting and “aggressive gestures” caused “severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma” and caused children “terror.”

Demonstrators gathered at the church because they said its pastor, David Easterwood, was the acting director of an ICE field office in the city, the lawsuit says.

Lemon was arrested in January in California and accused of violating federal civil rights law after covering the protest on Jan. 18. He was released on a personal recognizance bond before a federal grand jury in Minnesota returned the indictment against Lemon and eight co-defendants, all of whom are also named in Doucette’s lawsuit.

Nekima Levy Armstrong, Cities Church protest arraignment, St. Paul, Minn., February 2026
Nekima Levy Armstrong in St. Paul, Minn., on Feb. 13.Carlos Gonzalez / Star Tribune via Getty Images

In the lawsuit, Doucette alleges that Lemon specifically livestreamed the protest, “noting congregants’ fear and distress, and appeared to take satisfaction in the disruption.”

Levy Armstrong, a Minneapolis-based civil rights attorney and activist, was also arrested for her participation in the St. Paul protest. Her arrest drew national attention after the White House shared on social media doctored photos where she appeared to be crying.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Minnesota

Man arrested, charged with threatening to kill a state senator

Published

on

Man arrested, charged with threatening to kill a state senator



A Hubbard County man was arrested and charged after threatening to kill a Minnesota state senator on Facebook. 

Advertisement

Court documents filed on Wednesday state the Minnesota State Patrol were investigating a threat posted by John Tobias saying that he would “kill every one of you treasonous [expletive] immediately” if he did not get money back that he claims he lost during the 2020 COVID shutdown. 

Court documents go on to say that Tobias then called the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office asking for something to be done about “Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ‘unconstitutionally’ shutting down the state due to COVID-19. 

The Minnesota State Patrol contacted Hubbard County deputies regarding Tobias. Court documents state Hubbard County investigators were already familiar with Tobais after speaking with him regarding similar threats he made in Jan. 

The charging documents state that investigators searched Tobias’ residence on Tuesday and found an arsenal of guns and 45 boxes of ammunition. 

Tobias was taken into custody. During an interview with law enforcement, Tobias admitted to making the threat on Facebook. He also told investigators that “he did not have any intention of killing anyone, but admitted he was trying to get people’s attention,” according to court records. 

Advertisement

In late 2025, Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol, who oversees Capitol security, told a panel of lawmakers that threats to lawmakers had doubled between 2024 and 2025. 

Tobias made his first court appearance Wednesday morning and is expected back in court early next month.  



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending