Minnesota

3 thoughts after Dallas defeats Minnesota in Game 3, 116-107

Published

2 years ago

May 26, 2024

3 thoughts after Dallas defeats Minnesota in Game 3, 116-107

The Dallas Mavericks have proven to be unshakeable after they gutted out a 116-107 Game 3 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. True to this series, the game came down to the wire, but after losing a double-digit first-half lead, the Mavericks went to work late in the fourth and leaned on a fantastic defensive effort and some big shot-making from Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic to put a bow on this fifth straight playoff victory.

Dallas kicked things off strong. Shots were falling early, especially for Derrick Jones Jr who went a perfect 3-of-3 from deep in the first half. Dallas as a team put up a 48/54/89 shooting line in the first half, powering a 60-52 lead at half. It was the first lead the Mavericks have had in this series. While it’s been impressive to watch Dallas come back to win the first two games, it was nice to see the team get out and play with a lead.

Things were going about as well as could be hoped until Karl-Anthony Towns inadvertently kneed Dereck Lively II in the back of the head as Lively was falling after going for a rebound. He was eventually helped off the court but didn’t look steady on his feet. He did not return to the game.

With Dallas adjusting to the loss of Lively, things slumped a bit in the third. An enormous Anthony Edwards dunk triggered a solo 8-0 run from Edwards that tied the game up at 77 all. Dallas stabilized there and, after trading the lead a handful of time the rest of the way, the third quarter ended tied at 87.

No team managed to grab much of an advantage throughout the fourth. With Just over three and a half minutes to go and the game at a 104 stalemate, it was PJ Washington with a big corner three that jolted Dallas’ offense to a crucial cushion upon which they built a 13-to-3 run to end the game.

A Luka lob to Daniel Gafford and-1 dunk was the dagger that put Dallas up nine with under 353 seconds to go.

Beat switch

Without their uber-rookie Lively, the big paint advantage Dallas has enjoyed this series evaporated. The rebounding battle and the points in the paint swung in favor of Minnesota. The Wolves lead the Mavericks 50-to-40 in paint scoring – shooting 77% in the restricted zone, much higher than they have all series – and won the board battle, out-rebounding Dallas 44-to-38.

After proving they could win without the three-pointer in game 1, tonight the Mavs showed that just because they can’t dominate inside doesn’t mean they forgot how to shoot. The team shot 50% on 28 threes in the game. In addition to that, Coach Kidd’s huddle break after game two (1-2-3 free throws, ribbing Kyrie for his missed freebies late in the game), proved to be prophetic. Dallas earned 31 trips to the line — a series high for them — and shot over 82%.

This team loves having a dynamic big-man duo, but they can still win in different ways.

Huddle up

It’s not worth complaining about how a game is reffed. With Tony Brothers on the crew, it was clear what kind of whistle this game was going to have. And, sure enough, with both coaches using their challenges early on close calls, most of the game was being played with no recourse for the players.

There were several occasions, after calls or when Minnesota was putting a run together when frustration could’ve overtaken the squad and taken their head out of the game. It was comforting to see players, rather than make their case to a ref, all huddle up together on the court to reset their mental focus and stay in the game. It was shaping up to be a close game down the stretch, and the Mavericks made sure they were going to give themselves the best chance they could by sticking together. The one tech that was called in this one went not against Luka, not even against a Maverick, but Kyle Anderson.

With foul trouble hurting the Wolves (Gobert, Conley, and Jaden McDaniels all found themselves having to sub out of the game with foul trouble), sticking together and playing smart made a big difference for a squad already without an important rotation piece.

True grit

After the Timberwolves tied it up at 77 midway through the third, it looked like neither team was going to be able to find any breathing room. Down 102-104 with under five to go, Dallas leaned ALL THE WAY in. Irving tied it with a layup, Washington hit a big three for the lead, and then Dallas held Minnesota without a basket for essentially the remainder of the game. Edwards hit a garbage time layup when the outcome was no longer in doubt.

There will rightfully by a ton of chatter about Luka and Kyrie’s elite execution in clutch time, but that defensive stand was something to behold. The Dallas defense looked a little off-kilter without Lively, but they steadied themselves and made sure this game went into the win column.

You don’t have to look much past the box score to see how great a game Doncic had, but he had a sequence during this stretch that goes beyond the stats. After hitting a tough turnaround fadeaway to give Dallas a two-possession lead, he went down on the other end and tied up Anthony Edwards. The resulting jump ball went Dallas’ way and kept the Wolves off the scoreboard.

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Minnesota

Minnesota weather: Recording-breaking warmth Saturday

Published

54 minutes ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota weather: Recording-breaking warmth Saturday

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Twin Cities broke a heat record Saturday afternoon as temperatures rose into the mid 70s.

Recording-breaking heat at MSP

What they’re saying:

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport got to a record-high temperature for March 21.

The airport reached 77 degrees, beating the record of 76 degrees set in 1938.

Cold front ahead

What’s next:

A cold front is expected to swing by on Saturday night, bringing a chance of a few sprinkles.

Sunday will be a lot colder but nearly spot on for average high temperatures.

Expect clouds to slowly decrease throughout the day.

Most of the work week to follow will stay mild, with highs in the 50s and little to no precipitation along the way.

Weather ForecastMinnesota

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Minnesota

Hennen: Can Minnesota be saved?

Published

13 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

I grew up in the Land of 10,000 Lakes — Minnesota born, Minnesota bred — and I can tell you without hesitation the state I once knew is slipping away. What was once a model of common sense and good governance has become a national embarrassment under one-party Democratic control, where incompetence, corruption, and a complete lack of accountability now define state government.

Start with the Gov. Tim Walz administration’s Housing Stabilization Services program — sold as a way to help people in need — which became so consumed by fraud that the Minnesota House voted unanimously, 134-0, to shut it down. Think about that. In today’s political climate, nothing is unanimous unless it’s a total disaster. That wasn’t a disagreement — it was an admission of failure.

Then there’s the Department of Human Services, where basic oversight has simply vanished. At the same time, every single House Democrat voted to block mandatory reporting to ICE when a criminal illegal alien breaks the law, despite the fact that 85% of Minnesotans support cooperation between local law enforcement and immigration authorities. A bill designed to focus on violent criminal illegal immigrants and prevent the chaos we saw earlier this year was rejected outright. So who are they representing?

Meanwhile, a program meant to help children with autism exploded from $38 million to $325 million in just five years, with providers jumping from 150 to more than 500, and when credible allegations surfaced that some providers were offering kickbacks to parents, three separate complaints were closed without investigation. The Walz administration’s excuse? A broken, 30-year-old rule written incorrectly, which they claim limits what they can investigate. They’ve known about it, they could have fixed it, and they didn’t. Now they say it could take two more years. That’s not governance — that’s avoidance.

And while fraud runs rampant, Democrats somehow found time to call emergency Friday hearings to push through 16 bills targeting your Second Amendment rights. Apparently, restricting your rights takes priority over protecting your tax dollars.

Speaking of tax dollars, consider this: Democrats blew an $18 billion surplus, grew the size of government by over 40%, and raised taxes by $10 billion—and now Walz wants to raise your taxes again. Even after all that, they still feel entitled to more of your money.

Then there’s the Feeding Our Future scandal, where Ikram Mohamed pleaded guilty to wire fraud involving $14 million, with over a million going into her own pocket, and federal investigators believe she was involved in efforts to bribe a juror. She even secretly recorded Attorney General Keith Ellison while seeking help, yet under her plea deal, she avoids prosecution for other potential crimes. What message does that send? This is what happens when no one is held accountable and government grows too large to manage.

So the question is simple: can Minnesota be saved? Not without restoring accountability, transparency and leadership that actually puts citizens first, because right now those principles are missing, and Minnesotans are the ones paying the price.

Scott Hennen hosts the statewide radio program “What’s On Your Mind?” heard on AM 1100 “The Flag” in Fargo and on AM 1090 KTGO “The Flag” in Watford City/Williston. Email him at ScottH@FlagFamily.com.

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Minnesota

Former Minnesota Twins Prospect Speaks on Retiring from MLB

Published

1 day ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Former Minnesota Twins Prospect Speaks on Retiring from MLB

Does The NWSL Know What Soccer Fans Actually Want? | Full Time PodcastWelcome to Full Time, a show about women’s soccer.

In this episode, Meg and Tamerra dive into the world of NWSL fan supporter groups. As the NWSL is coveting new eyeballs and growth, an announcement that the league would be establishing a “league supporter’s group” as a sponsorship collaboration with an energy drink named Unwell, has sparked questions and concern among fan led groups – who have been on the ground building the league for over a decade now.

Full Time hosts Tamerra Griffin and Meg Linehan discuss tension in the relationship between the league and its supporters. With the help of voices from four different NWSL supporter’s groups from across the country, Tamerra and Meg unpack what values are most important to key community stakeholders and where the NWSL might well be falling short.

Thumbnail credit: Roy K. Miller/ISI Photos / Contributor / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images and Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Chapter descriptions:
00:00 Intro
00:13 What is a supporters group?
02:49 Guest introductions
05:06 What do supporters groups do?
08:02 Who are supporters groups for?
13:38 Growth & Tension
16:02 The need for a third space for fans
20:11 Is the NWSL doing enough to protect fans?
31:16 Outro

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#nwsl #uswnt #wsl

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