In Round One of the NBA playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs lost home-court advantage to the Portland Trail Blazers, and then won two road games to take a 3-1 lead. Now the Spurs find themselves in a similar situation, with the chance to go up 3-1 on the Minnesota Timberwolves before heading back to San Antonio with a chance to win the series.
Minnesota
Minnesota is ranked 6th in the nation for business, a new study finds
MINNEAPOLIS — A recent study shows that Minnesota is ranked sixth in the nation for business, with high marks coming from areas judging the state’s competitiveness, workforce, infrastructure, economy, quality of life and business friendliness.
This comes on the heels of additional accolades the state has received recently, like their ranking for best state for independent retailers, according to a B2B Reviews study, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was named the best U.S. airport in 2024 by Travel + Leisure.
“These rankings are a testament to our focus on investing in key areas that make our businesses and economy strong: job training, workforce development, child care, and broadband access,” said Governor Tim Walz. “Businesses in top industries, from health care to renewable energy and manufacturing, understand the benefits of investing and growing in Minnesota.”
Earlier this month, the Walz administration celebrated what it calls a huge milestone: $24 million secured in funding for job training and economic development programs.
That funding aims to support entrepreneurs and start-up businesses with operating needs, funds training programs and supports community events that provide an economic boost, like the Special Olympics, Taste of Minnesota, and other festivals. This funding became available for business on July 1.
Large-scale investors are also taking interest in developing business operations in Minnesota.
Last winter, the Mayo Clinic announced they are planning a $5 billion expansion in downtown Rochester. In May, Polar Semiconductor made a historic $525 million investment to expand their Bloomington facility. Then in June, the state secured $213 million to finance Bioforge Marshall LLC, a 500,000-square-foot sustainable biomanufacturing facility in Marshall, Minnesota.
Millions have also been invested in to researching a possible manganese mine in the small Minnesota town of Emily. Manganese is a mineral that’s used to reinforce steel and make lithium-ion batteries.
Economists estimate the global manganese market is worth more than $20 billion and growing. The mineral, though, is 100% imported in the U.S., despite it being an element that could appear in rocks almost everywhere.
The business study was conducted by and published by CNBC.
Minnesota was also recently ranked to have one of the most attractive accents in the country.
Minneapolis is ranked as one of the best cities for college graduates and one of the happiest cities in the U.S.
Iowa City (Iowa) Regina linebacker Tate Wallace committed to Minnesota on Sunday. The 6-2, 226-pounder from the class of 2027 chose the Golden Gophers over offers from Arizona State, Wisconsin, Arizona, Kansas State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and many others.
Victor Wembanyama’s heroics helped the Spurs take a 2-1 lead in a 115-108 victory. Much like the first game of the series, Game Three was defined by back-and-forth play and tough defense. It wasn’t until Wembanyama took over in the fourth quarter that a clear winner emerged. Minnesota desperately needs a win at home to avoid going down 3-1, so expect another physical game with a large sense of urgency from the Wolves.
San Antonio’s strategy of playing fast on offense, pestering the Wolves’ ball-handlers on the perimeter with full-court pressure and doubles, while funneling everything to Wembanyama in the paint, has worked so far. Minnesota’s head coach, Chris Finch, is one of the best in the business. He’ll certainly have adjustments to counter the strategies that have worked for the Spurs.
This series has been pretty close through three games. Game Four should be no different. San Antonio can put itself in a great position to win the series by stealing another game on the road.
May 10th, 2026 | 6:30 PM CT
Watch: Peacock / NBC | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: No injuries to report.
Timberwolves Injuries: Donte DiVincenzo – Out (achilles)
Winning the possession battle
The Timberwolves took 14 more shots than the Spurs in Game Three. It’s rare to win a game where you lose the possession battle so brutally. Minnesota had 15 offensive rebounds compared to the Spurs’ 8. A lot of those offensive rebounds were long or contested 50/50 balls. If San Antonio had eliminated those second-change opportunities, the margin of victory may have been wider.
A great example of that was Game Two, when the Spurs forced 22 turnovers and grabbed more offensive rebounds, leading to a blowout. The Wolves have struggled to shoot the ball well in the series. Giving them easy opportunities and extra possessions is allowing them to make up for this weakness. The Spurs have to secure the defensive glass and take care of the ball to give themselves some more cushion in Game Four.
De’Aaron Fox’s shotmaking
San Antonio’s All-Star guard has been hot and cold in this series. He shot poorly in Games One and Three, but had a nice stat line in Game Two. Fox is averaging 18 points on 46.3% shooting in the playoffs overall. He, for the most part, has stepped up when the Spurs needed him this postseason. It’s been harder for him to get to the rim with guys like Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards guarding him on the perimeter, and Rudy Gobert roaming the paint.
Wembanyama is sure to draw a lot of attention in Game Four. San Antonio is going to need another player to step up and take on some of the scoring load. Fox is the best equipped to do that.
Minnesota’s Wembanyama game plan
Wembanyama has dominated this series. Something has to change for Minnesota to minimize his impact. Will they play Gobert more minutes? Start sending doubles earlier? Give the Spurs more open three-pointers to prohibit him from scoring inside? On offense, will the Wolves look to generate more threes to avoid going at Wembanyama in the paint? Whatever adjustments Chris Finch makes will be important to watch for in Game Four.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The Wild returns to Saint Paul tonight, taking on the Avalanche at Grand Casino Arena for the first time in the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The following lineup is a projection and is subject to change:
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