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Recap: Denver Nuggets take first with 116-107 victory over Minnesota Timberwolves

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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.

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.

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.

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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.

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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.





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Boldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com

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Boldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com


Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who are the No. 3 seed in the Central Division. Wallstedt made 27 saves in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, and Zuccarello had three assists.

“I was definitely nervous,” said Wallstedt, a rookie. “I think it shows that it means something to you. I like a little bit of nerves. I think it’s something good. There were definitely some nerves throughout the day and then a little bit extra rolling into the game. But after the national anthem was over and the first couple pucks started coming, you’re good. 

“I wanted to play and I felt like I have been going good. I was a little surprised (to get the start). But I was very excited as soon as I got the news. I just wanted to make sure I was ready today.”

Jason Robertson scored, and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for the Stars, who are the No. 2 seed in the Central.

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“We didn’t deserve to win,” Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen said. “I think two power-play goals for them, two a little-bit bounces for them where we had guys in the right spot. Just even keel. Playoffs are like this. Sometimes you lose a game, you can feel like you’re done. But that’s the mentality you need to have, you’ve got to reset and learn from mistakes. 

“First 30 minutes, we didn’t win enough battles. They were just that little bit stronger in the battles and that’s why they were able to make us defend more than we want to. Just got to be stronger.”

Game 2 is here on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360).

“We prepped for a couple days coming into this one. Now, we will gather information from this game and continue to move forward,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “For me, it’s game to game and day to day. We want to continue to get better. We won and they [Dallas] lost. It’s not so much being satisfied where you’re at or that’s what it is. We need to continue to find ways to get better.”

Eriksson Ek gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 5:35 of the first period on the power play. He scored on a one-timer from the left hash marks to finish a tic-tac-toe passing play with Zuccarello and Boldy, who found an open Eriksson Ek with a pass from the goal line.

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“I think every team in the playoffs talks about not getting too high or too low. Just enjoy every day and each game and then we will go from there,” Eriksson Ek said. “I think we played pretty good today. The next game is a new game, so we just have to do it over and over every game. We know they are probably not the happiest with that game, so I am sure it’s going to be hard next game.”



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ICE agent assault charge marks a ‘milestone’ for Minnesota prosecutors

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ICE agent assault charge marks a ‘milestone’ for Minnesota prosecutors



Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault accusing him of involvement in a February road-rage incident.

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Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault, saying the agent was involved in a February road-rage incident during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, faces two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to April 16 Hennepin County court records. He has a nationwide warrant for his arrest.

On Feb. 5, prosecutors said Morgan allegedly drove illegally on the shoulder of a congested Minnesota highway in an unmarked SUV and pointed his weapon at two people in another car.

Morgan is the first agent charged in Operation Metro Surge, the controversial Minneapolis-area federal immigration operation that resulted in two American citizens fatally shot by federal officials, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

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The charges “reflect an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on our community during Operation Metro Surge,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in an April 16 video statement.

Second-degree assault with a gun has a presumptive sentence of 36 months in prison if convicted, she said.

“Mr. Morgan’s conduct was extremely dangerous,” she said, adding his actions could have led to “another disastrous incident” in the community.

Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to email requests for comment. A cell phone listed for Morgan, identified as a Maryland resident, didn’t immediately respond to a call or text message.

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The incident came less than two weeks after two Customs and Border Protection officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, during a protest in Minneapolis. Pretti would be the second American killed during Metro Surge after an ICE agent in early January fatally shot Renee Good, 37, while she drove her SUV in Minneapolis near an immigration operation.

Later in February, the Trump administration drew down Metro Surge, which officials called the largest immigration operation in modern American history.

Investigators said they interviewed Morgan, who identified himself as the driver. Morgan told investigators he and the other ICE employee were returning from a surveillance shift. Morgan said he feared for his life and others’ safety, so he pulled up alongside the vehicle and drew his Glock 19 firearm. He said he identified himself as police. 

State investigators said neither Morgan nor the other ICE agent reported the incident to an ICE supervisor.

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The April 16 warrant, signed by District Court Judge Paul Scoggin, said there was a “substantial likelihood” Morgan would fail to respond to a summons, and officials couldn’t locate him.

On April 18, Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the county attorney’s office, said there is no knowledge of Morgan being arrested yet.

Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.



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Reds Brandon Williamson beats Twins in first Minnesota homecoming

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Reds Brandon Williamson beats Twins in first Minnesota homecoming


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  • In his first professional start in Minnesota, Trimont, MN, native Brandon Williamson pitched into the sixth to beat the Twins 2-1.
  • The victory was the opener of a six-game road trip for the Reds, who improved to 12-8.

MINNEAPOLIS – Brandon Williamson came to this ballpark as a kid, rooted for Joe Mauer and the Twins, maybe even dreamed a little of playing there one day.

“Oh, yeah. Joe Ma,” Williamson said. “That’s my guy.”

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By the time that day came, Mauer had a statue outside the stadium, and Williamson had 29 career starts across three big-league seasons for the Cincinnati Reds.

And then the kid from tiny Trimont, Minnesota, came up big enough to beat the Twins in his first professional start in his home state – a 2-1 victory Friday in front of 200 or more personal friends and family from Trimont. And about 31,000 other people.

“It was awesome,” said Williamson, whose personal contingent at the game represented close to one-third of greater Trimont (pop. 705). “It was everything I thought it would be.”

The left-hander didn’t pitch especially deep into the game, getting two batters into the sixth. But on a night made for native Minnesotans, with a game-time temperature of 43 degrees, Williamson looked right at, well, home, pitching to the conditions and setting down the first six batters he faced – and eight of the first nine.

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As one local press box wag quipped during the second inning, “These Minnesota boys know how to pitch in the cold.”

A pair of one-out runs in the fourth inning provided the scoring for a Reds team lineup still trying to break free from its early season woes – albeit with the twin obstacles of the weather and All-Star starter Joe Ryan’s presence on the mound for the Twins for the first six innings.

The only two hits off Ryan were doubles in the fourth by Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez, sandwiched around a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Kreidler. Suárez’s hit drove in two.

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The only run against Williamson scored after he inexplicably followed four strong innings with three consecutive walks to open the fifth, including a four-pitch walk to No. 8 hitter Brooks Lee leading off the inning.

Austin Martin followed the three freebies with a sacrifice fly on a dying liner to the gap in right that Will Benson caught with a slide.

Williamson then rallied to get Luke Keaschall on an inning-ending, 5-4-3 double play started by Suárez, who got the rare start at third base.

“I thought he handled himself really good,” manager Terry Francona said. “He looked like he was having fun pitching. I know he didn’t like walking the bases loaded. But he looked like he was enjoying himself out there. I like that when guys are enjoying competing; then we’re OK.”

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Williamson also left the bases loaded in the third after a hit batter and two-out single followed by a walk. He struck out Keaschall on a called third strike that was confirmed after Keaschall challenged.

“I could have kissed whoever was running the ABS,” Williamson said.

The Reds improved to 12-8 and remained tied for first place in the National League Central after their third win in four games – the second in that stretch by a 2-1 score.“That was cool,” said closer Emilio Pagán, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save in his first outing since experiencing hamstring tightness Tuesday.

“I don’t have a team in my home state (of South Carolina),” Pagán said, “so I don’t know what that feels like. But to pitch against probably his favorite team growing up in front of that many friends and family had to be a surreal feeling. And he handled it great.”



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