Minnesota

Minnesota Timberwolves Set Franchise History But Want More

Published

8 months ago

May 17, 2025

Minnesota Timberwolves Set Franchise History But Want More

Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards helped Minnesota to tis second straight berth in the NBA West … More finals. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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The Minnesota Timberwolves already have made franchise history. They are using that as a starting point.

“The stomach is not full,” center Rudy Gobert said. “Not at all. It’s just one step.”

The Timberwolves made the Western Conference finals for a team-record second consecutive season last week after finishing off the Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors in five games, giving them five days’ rest before meeting the Oklahoma City-Denver winner in the West finals that begin Tuesday.

The next step is to avenge a loss to Dallas in the West finals a year ago.

The T-Wolves’ repeat trip seemed almost inevitable once the Warriors lost Curry in their Game 1 victory. They won the final four games of the series by an average of almost 12 points.

“We were the better team,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “We felt we were the better team. We just had to go out and play like it every night.”

The Wolves similarly punished the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, winning four of five while outscoring LeBron James, Luka Doncic et al by an average of almost nine points a game. It was especially satisfying, inasmuch as Doncic was the ringleader in Dallas’ series win a year ago.

No. 6 seed Minnesota did not have home court advantage in either of its first two 2024 playoff series will not have it in any round this year.

A Denver series would be a rematch of the 2024 West semifinals, when the T-Wolves overcame a 15-point halftime deficit Denver for a 98-90 Game 7 victory.

The Wolves’ made history then, too. They had the largest the comeback in an NBA Game 7, and the series win seemed to solidify their status as a continuing title contender.

“It’s to make it to the (NBA) finals,” Jaden McDaniels said of the mission. “I think we’re super confident. We’re all together, being a good team, and we’re just ready for whoever we play next already. We just got to stay the course.”

Renewing the legacy of Kevin Garnett

In one way, these Wolves have taken the glory days of the Garnett Era one step further.

The Garnett-led teams of the late 1990-early 2000s made seven straight playoff appearances but only one trip to the conference finals, at the end of the run in 2004. These Wolves are on a four-season playoff run.

The current franchise turnaround began in 2020, with a succession timely of front office and player personnel decisions after an ugly stretch in which they had 15 losing seasons in 16 and played under nine full-time or interim coaches.

It began with a bit of a break in the 2020 NBA lottery, when they won the first overall pick despite the third-worst record in the league and a 14 percent chance at No. 1.

Anthony Edwards, prize of the 2020 draft

The Wolves took Anthony “Ant” Edwards, considered the consensus best player in the class, with first pick. He has become the face of the franchise and is closing in on being the new face of the NBA with his combination of skill and exuberance.

Edwards’ scoring average has increased in every season, to 27.6 points per game this year, fourth in the league.

Minnesota also acquired McDaniels in a three-team trade two days after the 2020 draft, and both he and Edwards have been cornerstones of the resurgence as McDaniels — always a long, athletic defender — has honed offensive game.

The front office makeover began shortly thereafter. Finch replace Ryan Saunders as head coach in February, 2021, and general manager Tim Connelly was hired from a similar position in Denver in May of 2022.

Less than two months later, Connelly acquired defensive presence Gobert, a decisive move that still resonates. While much of the league was trending small, Connelly added Gobert in a massive trade package that sent five players and four first-round draft picks to the Utah Jazz.

Gobert and all the right moves

Gobert, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, has averaged a double-double for the last nine seasons, and his length in the paint keeps opponents wary. He had nine blocked shots in the Warriors’ series and has averaged 2.4 blocks per season in his career.

Veteran point guard Michael Conley and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker were acquired in another three-team deal involving Utah late in the 2023 season.

Connelly put the finishing touch on the roster over the summer, when he traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo Randle has averaged 23.9 points per game in the playoffs, five points above his regular-season average, and like Towns has the green light from three-point range.

With Edwards, DiVincenzo and 2019 draft pick Naz Reid doing much of the work, the Timberwolves made 37.7 percent of their three-point attempts, fourth in the league.

The Wolves got this far a year ago, and Finch has counseled them to remember what happened in the West finals then, when they lost all three three home games.

“It’s about staying level-headed,” Gobert said. “After a win like we had last year against Denver in Game 7, I felt like you get the whole world praising you. We weren’t mature enough to handle that yet.

“This year, we’re mature enough. I feel like we understand where we’re at. That’s the lesson. It’s about us and our approach. It’s not about who we face. It’s about mindset, our work, our attention to details. When our level of urgency is right, we know we can play with anyone.”

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Minnesota

Minnesota Wild Recalls Defenseman David Špaček From Iowa | Minnesota Wild

Published

35 minutes ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota Wild Recalls Defenseman David Špaček From Iowa | Minnesota Wild

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled defenseman David Špaček (SPAH-chehk) from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Špaček, 22 (2/18/23), owns 19 points (3-16=19), 61 shots and 10 penalty minutes (PIM) in 35 games with Iowa this season, leading the team in assists (T-12th among AHL defensemen) and ranking second in points and shots. The 6-foot, 190-pound native of Columbus, Ohio, recorded 31 points (4-27=31), 31 PIM and 117 shots in 72 games with Iowa during the 2024-25 season, leading the team with 18 power play assists, ranking second in assists, and pacing team defensemen in scoring. For his career, Špaček owns 62 points (10-52=62), 62 PIM and 251 shots in 168 games over three AHL seasons (2023-26).

Špaček will represent Czechia at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic games and has previously represented Czechia at multiple international competitions, including the 2025 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded two assists in eight games, and the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where he posted five assists in 10 games to help Czechia secure gold. He also helped Czechia to a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Tournament, recording eight points (3-5=8), 11 shots and a plus-7 rating in seven games.

Špaček was selected by Minnesota in the fifth round (No. 153 overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft and has yet to appear in an NHL game. He will wear sweater No. 82 with the Wild.

Minnesota will host the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3.

Minnesota Wild single-game tickets are on sale now at wild.com/tickets, ticketmaster.com and at the Grand Casino Arena Box Office. Flex, 11-Game, half and full season memberships are also available for purchase. Please visit tickets.wild.com or contact a Wild Ticket Sales Representative by calling or texting (651) 222-WILD (9453) for more information. Group reservations of eight or more tickets can contact [email protected] for more information. Single game suite rentals are also available, contact [email protected] for more information.

Follow @mnwildPR on X and visit www.wild.com/pressbox and for the latest news and information from the team including press releases, game notes, player interviews and daily statistics.

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Minnesota

Minnesota Prosecutors Quit, Trump in Detroit, Inflation Report : Up First from NPR

Published

13 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota Prosecutors Quit, Trump in Detroit, Inflation Report : Up First from NPR

Veteran federal prosecutors in Minnesota resign after pressure from Justice Department leaders to investigate the widow of Renee Macklin Good, the woman killed by an ICE agent, raising new questions about political interference.
President Trump takes his economic message on the road, pitching affordability as voters remain frustrated by high prices.
And while gas prices have dipped, rising heating costs, grocery prices, and stubborn inflation show why relief still feels out of reach for many families.

Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Gigi Douban, Krishnadev Calamur, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.

(0:00) Introduction
(02:19) Minnesota Prosecutors Quit
(06:10) Trump in Detroit
(09:52) Inflation Report

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Minnesota

Effort to impeach Kristi Noem backed by Minnesota lawmakers

Published

1 day ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

Effort to impeach Kristi Noem backed by Minnesota lawmakers

Hundreds more ICE agents coming to MN, Noem says

DHS Sec. Kristi Noem says hundreds more ICE agents are coming to Minnesota. They began arriving on Sunday, and more are expected to arrive on Monday. This comes days after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, and comes amid rising tensions as people protest ICE in Minnesota, demanding they leave.

(FOX 9) – Several Minnesota lawmakers are backing an effort signed by more than 50 Democrats in the House of Representatives to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem stemming from accusations of obstructing Congress and violating public trust.

Noem impeachment effort

What we know:

A total of 53 House Democrats have co-signed a bill set to be introduced by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (Illinois).

Tensions have risen in the Twin Cities following the shooting of Renee Nicole Good at the hands of ICE officer Jonathan Ross. The shooting has sparked protests across the city, including outside the regional ICE headquarters.

In December, the Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge, bringing more than 100 federal agents into the Twin Cities.

In January, the Department of Homeland Security launched a new 30-day surge, bringing a reported force of 1,500 ICE officers and 600 Homeland Security investigators into the state with an aim at tackling fraud.

According to Noem, the total has since increased to more than 2,000 agents presently operating within the state.

In the months prior to the focus on Minnesota, the Trump administration also sent additional troops to cities such as Portland, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Dig deeper:

The articles of impeachment that are set to be formally introduced on Jan. 14, 2026, will accuse Noem of three counts:

Obstruction of Congress: Stemming from members of Congress being denied entry to DHS facilities and for withholding congressionally appropriated disaster relief funding.
Violation of public trust: Allegedly denying ICE detainees due process and violating the First and Fourth amendments.
Self-dealing: Stemming from reports that Noem awarded $220 million in contracts to a firm run by her spokesperson’s husband.

What they’re saying:

“Secretary Kristi Noem is an incompetent leader, a disgrace to our democracy, and I am impeaching her for obstruction of justice, violation of public trust, and self-dealing. Secretary Noem wreaked havoc in the Chicagoland area, and now, her rogue ICE agents have unleashed that same destruction in Minneapolis, fatally shooting Renee Nicole Good,” said Rep. Kelly in a statement on her official website. “From Chicago to Charlotte to Los Angeles to Minneapolis, Secretary Noem is violating the Constitution while ruining — and ending — lives and separating families. It’s one thing to be incompetent and dangerous, but it’s impeachable to break the rule of law.”

Minnesota Reps. Angie Craig and Betty McCollum also plan to support the impeachment efforts.

“Secretary Noem should be fired. If she is not, I support impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate for her obstruction of Congress and violation of public trust,” said Rep. McCollum in a statement. “This past year, Americans in cities across the United States have felt the chaos and terror of Secretary Noem’s Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Secretary Noem has demonstrated that she is unable to enforce immigration law in a peaceful and ethical manner. Her deployment of unprofessional, poorly trained, masked immigration agents has put our neighbors in danger of physical harm.”

Minnesota’s Democratic lawmakers, along with mayors Jacob Frey and Kaohly Her, along with Gov. Tim Walz, have also been vocal critics of DHS immigration enforcement efforts in the wake of the shooting of Renee Good.

ImmigrationPoliticsDonald J. TrumpMinnesotaMinneapolis

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