Minnesota
Timberwolves advance to Western Conference first round
The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder 120-95 within the Play-In Match on Friday, advancing to the primary spherical of the Western Convention playoffs towards the Denver Nuggets. Right here’s what it’s essential know:
- The Timberwolves safe the No. 8 seed, clinching the franchise’s eleventh playoff berth.
- Minnesota takes on the Nuggets, the No. 1 seed within the West, on Sunday at 10:30 p.m. ET in Denver.
- Karl-Anthony Cities led the Timberwolves with 28 factors, 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocks, taking pictures 11-of-16 from the sphere.
WOLVES WIN!!!
WOLVES WIN!!!
WOLVES WIN!!!#RaisedByWolves pic.twitter.com/qOgfrw80wI
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 15, 2023
The Athletic’s prompt evaluation:
What this implies for Timberwolves
This season has been a grind for the Timberwolves, full of damage, sickness and a near-constant battle to adapt to including Rudy Gobert to the roster. Whereas they anticipated to complete a lot increased within the West, making the playoffs is notable as a result of it’s the first time since 2004 that they’ve certified for the postseason in back-to-back years.
It’s been laborious, it’s been irritating, and it’s been ugly at occasions. However they’ve survived it and now will open a sequence in Denver on Sunday evening. Nothing has been straightforward for them, however they’re within the playoffs they usually have an opportunity. They are going to take it.
With Cities taking part in a few of his finest basketball, Anthony Edwards coming again into rhythm after some accidents and Gobert away from the again points, they are going to go into the sequence as large underdogs, however with loads of confidence. — Krawcyznski
How Minnesota bought the win
This recreation was billed as large vs. small, with the Wolves two 7-footers up entrance towards an OKC group that likes to go actually small. The Wolves wanted to punish the Thunder within the paint, and Cities did precisely that. With out anybody over 6-7 to protect him, Cities went to work all evening.
He scored 28 factors on 11-for-16 taking pictures and grabbed 11 rebounds. He was additionally a part of a Wolves protection that made it exceedingly tough for the Thunder to get something close to the rim. Sure, Oklahoma Metropolis missed some attractiveness, however many had been rushed due to the presence of Cities and Gobert there.
For Cities, it was a pleasant bounce again after going scoreless within the fourth quarter and extra time of their loss to the Lakers within the first Play-In recreation. The Wolves want all of that and extra going into the playoffs. — Krawcyznski
Gobert’s first recreation again from suspension
All eyes had been on Gobert, who got here again from a suspension for punching Kyle Anderson throughout the common season finale. He performed like he was decided to atone for that mistake. Gobert had 21 factors, 10 rebounds and bought the gang on its ft when he unveiled a behind-the-back dribble and end close to the tip of the third quarter.
The Thunder fouled him incessantly, unable to matchup along with his measurement. He made 9-of-14 foul pictures, and even heard chants “Rudy! Rudy!” from a house crowd that has typically gritted its collective enamel with him for a lot of the season. — Krawcyznski
How Timberwolves match up with Nuggets
The Wolves now head to Denver to face the Nuggets within the first spherical of the playoffs, one other sequence simply dripping with backstory.
The Timberwolves lured Nuggets president Tim Connelly away from Denver final summer time. There have been some laborious emotions from the Nuggets on the way in which all of it went down, however Connelly nonetheless has many mates within the group.
He has skilled a polarizing first season in Minnesota, getting closely criticized for the worth he paid for Gobert, but additionally deserves appreciable credit score for 2 massively useful strikes. His signing of Anderson in free company was probably the greatest free agent additions in group historical past.
And on the deadline, he flipped D’Angelo Russell, who was not going to be retained subsequent season, for Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and three second-round picks. Alexander-Walker hounded his cousin, Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, all evening and Conley has been the right set off man for the Wolves at level guard. — Krawcyznski
Backstory
All-Star Edwards chipped in one other double-double with 19 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Minnesota shot 51.8 p.c from the sphere and 40.6 from the 3-point line and had a transparent benefit within the paint. The Timberwolves managed 58 factors within the paint to the Thunder’s 30.
Gilgeous-Alexander struggled along with his shot, going simply 5-of-19 from the sphere. The 24-year-old nonetheless managed to shoot an ideal 12-for-12 from the free-throw line, tallying 22 factors, seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks. He additionally briefly left the courtroom after catching a Gobert elbow to the face within the third quarter however returned shortly after.
The Thunder completed the common season with a 40-42 report. — Krawcyznski
Required studying
(Photograph: Matt Krohn / USA Right now)
Minnesota
Mavericks’ magic: Biggest takeaways of Game 2 between Dallas and Minnesota
A late one-point victory in a tight Western Conference finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Mavericks escaping Minnesota up 2-0 is another story.
Dallas rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to take Game 2 109-108 behind a brilliant step-back 3-pointer from Luka Doncic over center Rudy Gobert with three seconds remaining that silenced the home crowd. The Timberwolves had one final possession, but Naz Reid’s 26-footer missed, and now the Mavericks will travel back to Dallas with a commanding series lead.
“I can’t move fast, but I can move faster than him,” Doncic said of his shot over Gobert during his postgame interview on TNT.
With his winning 3 over the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Doncic finished with a game-high 32 points with 10 rebounds and 13 assists to record his eighth career playoff triple-double.
The Mavericks trailed by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, but they methodically cut into Minnesota’s lead behind Doncic’s playmaking and clutch shooting from guard Kyrie Irving, who went 4-for-7 from 3 in the game.
Reid led the Wolves with 23 points as Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns once again struggled; the duo combined to shoot 9-for-33.
Dallas heads home with the chance to close out the series and reach the NBA Finals — despite outscoring Minnesota by just four points over the first two games. The Timberwolves’ comeback attempt will begin Sunday in Game 3.
Our NBA insiders break down Doncic’s clutch shot, the Timberwolves’ chances at getting back into the series and the biggest takeaway from a memorable Game 2.
1. Luka’s step-back winning 3 over Gobert was ______.
Ramona Shelburne: Legacy-making, for both him and Gobert. As much as it was an incredible clutch shot by Doncic, it was also ammunition for all the Gobert detractors (See: Green, Draymond) who point out that the Defensive Player of the Year can be a liability when he switches onto a perimeter player. Of course, you can also question the defensive strategy of switching everything with Gobert on the floor. Instead, the Wolves watched Doncic put Gobert on skates for the win.
Andrew Lopez: Excellent, yet expected. Watching Doncic in clutch situations, it’s starting to get to the point where you expect him to make tough shots no matter what and no matter who is standing in front of him. It’s incredible to think he just turned 25 in February by the way carries himself in pressure moments. As soon as he got the switch, you felt the shot was going in even though he had missed his two other attempts in the fourth quarter.
Brian Windhorst: Let’s use Doncic’s own words on the court after his game winner: “You can’t f—ing guard me.” In that moment, it was the slower-footed Gobert against the expert footwork of Doncic. As TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal would say, “Barbecue chicken.”
2. What is your biggest takeaway from Game 2?
Shelburne: The Mavericks weren’t perfect in this game, but for the second game in a row they showed much more poise than the Timberwolves when it mattered. Minnesota should probably just flush the tape of its critical turnovers down the stretch. People are going to point to the poor shooting performances by Wolves stars Edwards and Towns, but Reid and Mike Conley did enough to pick up the slack for Minnesota to win the game if it hadn’t had so many unforced errors.
Lopez: As much as Doncic seemingly struggled to get going until late in the fourth quarter because of his various injuries, the Mavericks were able to pull this out because of the play of Irving. Doncic is clearly not 100 — left ankle soreness and right knee sprain are among his ailments — despite coming through with the game winner. But when Doncic rested, Irving stepped up. After just seven points in the first three quarters, Irving had 13 in the fourth quarter with four 3s, including with 1:05 to go to cut the Wolves’ lead to two.
Windhorst: Edwards is going through a tough patch at the worst time. His unforced turnover with 12.8 seconds left was a crucial mistake. But he’s really mired in a slump, shooting just 30-of-90 over the past five games. Unlike Game 1, when he settled for 3-pointers, he attacked the basket and forced the action Friday. But as one of the best finishers in the league, 70% in the restricted area during the regular season, Edwards was ineffective going up against Dallas’ size.
3 . The Wolves’ trailing 0-2 for the first time these playoffs is ____.
Shelburne: What it looks like when a young team experiences growing pains in real time. As disappointing as these two games were for the Wolves, I’m not ready to write them off. Not after they won Games 6 and 7 against the defending champion Denver Nuggets following three straight losses in the last round. Edwards has struggled in this series. I think the demands of defending Irving in addition to the energy Minnesota needs from him offensively are wearing on him. He even needed oxygen in the fourth quarter of Game 2, but I’ve seen enough from Edwards this season to know he will never lack confidence or energy when his team needs him.
Lopez: Heartbreaking. It looked as if Reid was going to save the day after he hit seven 3s and was carrying Minnesota in the second half, but he couldn’t get his eighth triple to fall as time expired. Towns and Edwards combined to go 9-of-33 in a one-possession game at home. This was after going 12-of-36 in a one-possession game at home in Game 1. Both games have been there for the taking. Minnesota has bounced back from the brink before, but to do so again, both players will have to take big steps in Games 3 and 4 in Dallas.
Windhorst: Regret. That’s what the Wolves were feeling in their locker room after the game. Ant for the turnover. Gobert for not getting the final stop. Coach Chris Finch for not using one of his two remaining timeouts. Towns for not having a better game. Two one-possession losses, lots of agony.
Minnesota
Why Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes may not be the safest option for cooling down this summer
MINNESOTA (Valley News Live) – As we head into the holiday weekend, new numbers show drownings surged during the pandemic. The highest rates happened among children under five. Researchers blamed the shortage of swimming lessons during the pandemic.
Minnesota, of course, has about 10,000 options for swimming in the summer, but lakes are lot bigger and deeper than pools. That makes them more dangerous. New research from the CDC shows the number drownings in the U.S. are going back up after decades in decline.
On average, roughly 4,000 Americans drowned every year, but after the pandemic that surged to 4,500. The highest rates of death were among young children, but the data also showed more than half of adults surveyed never took swim lessons.
In Minnesota specifically, state officials reported 48 drownings last year, most of the victims were over 18. A stark reminder to even the best of swimmers to always practice their skills.
Those 48 drownings in Minnesota last year do not include anyone killed in boat crashes. According to the DNR, nine people were killed in boating-related incidents in 2023. More than half of them were not wearing life jackets.
The Fargo Park District is hosting water safety day at several pools on June 7th. It’s a free event and will have activities for adults and kids to learn water safety skills.
Copyright 2024 KVLY. All rights reserved.
Minnesota
Flying Cars Are Now Legal in This State
If you’ve long dreamed of living life like the Jetsons, complete with flying cars, Minnesota might be the perfect destination. KFGO reports that Gov. Tim Walz has signed off on a transportation bill supported on both sides of the aisle that includes language on the use of “roadable aircraft,” aka flying cars. The new legislation—called, naturally, the “Jetson bill”—allows for such vehicles to drive on state roads and highways, though they can’t take off or land on public thoroughfares unless it’s an emergency. Per a release, the flying cars would have to stick to the same rules of the road as other non-air-friendly vehicles.
“Believe it or not, the way things are going with technology, we’re actually looking at flying cars coming maybe as early as 2025,” GOP state Sen. John Jasinski said in March, per the Star Tribune. That outlet notes that multiple companies are working on flying cars, which aren’t yet available for public use. Some say they could reach the market in two years’ time, which may make Jasinski’s prediction overly optimistic. The FAA wields control over the “flying” part of flying cars, while states will have jurisdiction over the “car” part on local roads. Just one other state has made legal provisions for flying cars: New Hampshire, which passed a similar law in 2020. (More flying cars stories.)
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