#0: Timberwolves (Last Week: -2). OK, I have to note that the Timberwolves lost their season finale at home to Chicago, 124-120. That gave me some pause as to winning Tuesday's Play-In at Target Center versus The Bastard Buffalo Braves/San Diego Clippers. That squad announced that Paul George was coming back from injury, and even though Kawhi Leonard will not be back this season, hearing PG-13 was back made my teeth chatter.
And then I heard the Clips was able to harass Karl-Anthony Towns into foul trouble all Game. KAT such a shit Game that he fouled himself out in the middle of the Fourth Quarter with only 11 Points on 3-of-11 shooting, upon which the Clippers built a sizable lead. But the Wolves are more than one man, and the other members of The Big 3 -- Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell -- plus sparkplug/asshole-who-I'm-glad-is-on-our-side Patrick Beverley stepped up and showed a grit and resilience I didn't quite believe they had. Without KAT, the Timberwolves closed the last 7 1/2 Minutes of the Game on a 23-11 run to go from a seven-Point deficit to a 109-104 victory that officially put the Timberwolves into the playoffs.
The sold-out Target Center crowd by all accounts was wild and euphoric. The celebration ripped the lid off of decades of frustration. And to some, like the guys on The NBA On TNT, it was a little over the top:
"We need 'One Shining Moment'" 😂
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 13, 2022
Inside the NBA crew reacts to the Timberwolves' celebration after clinching the 7th seed. pic.twitter.com/kMkhQBhKkN
OK, first of all, we have sucked as a franchise since Day One. This is only the second time this team has gotten into the playoffs since the 2004-5 season. GIVE US THIS.
But also, I will say that this is a particularly gratifying way to reach the playoffs. Not with a come-from-behind win behind (arguably) the best player on the team on the bench. Towns and Anthony Edwards are original Timberwolves draftees. Sure, D'Angelo Russell and Pat Bev came to Minnesota via trade. But even unlike 2018, when the club was singularly sparked and led by trade product Jimmy Butler, the makeup of this Wolves squad feels organic, genuine -- in other words, to put it in passive-aggressive terms, "Minnesotan." We tried to build this organization from the ground up and finally, goddamn finally, it seems to be working.
Sure, it looks as though the reward is a date with the similarly young and hungry Bastard Vancouver Grizzlies, starting this/Saturday afternoon. ESPN.com asked 21 of its writers to predict the outcome of that First Round series, and all 21 picked the Grizz to win. But note that even though Barkley and Smith busted the T-Wolves' balls for acting as if they won the NBA title, they both predicted the Wolves will win. Now, KAT has to play better. He has to, you know, actually play. But regardless of what happens in this series, it feels like the franchise has finally done something right, and has built something that will be good for several Years. And that's something to celebrate over.
#-1: Wild (Last Week: -1). It is kind of shame to see that the Wild continue to play well -- they went undefeated this screening Week -- and yet not be able to make up any ground on The Bastard Quebec Nordiques nor get any separation away from the St. Louis Blues, the latter with which they remain tied on Points and therefore seem fated to clash with in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The nature of the Wins gives some hope that these guys are tough; the Los Angeles Kings have been playing better as of late, and the Edmonton Oilers were red-hot, and both clubs came into the X and were promptly routed by Minnesota.
Also too, they went down to The Team That Was Stolen From Us and rightfully beat them after coughing up a pair of leads. It's always a righteous day when The Team That Should Be The Minnesota North Stars beats The Bastard North Stars, even if it was in Overtime and gave them a fucking loser Point.
Does it really matter if the Blues gets home-ice advantage? It's hockey, after all. But those two teams meet in St. Louis this/Saturday afternoon -- about a half-hour before the Timberwolves tip; ooh, this could be another #MinnesotaIsLoservilleUSA day. That starts a very busy Week for the club; they come back to St. Paul to host San Jose for Easter, visit Montreal Tuesday, then host Vancouver and Seattle Thursday and Friday.
#-2: Gopher softball (Last Week: -3). This ballclub actually had some heat to them. They won the series at Iowa last weekend by beating the Hawkeyes in eight Innings Saturday and six Sunday, then outlasted South Dakota St. at home in another eight-Inning affair on Wednesday. But then they beginning this weekend's series at Nebraska last/Friday night by getting their brains beat in, 7-0. They're 19-16-1 overall and only 5-5 in the Big Ten.
After finishing up in Lincoln, they host what appears to be an annual Doubleheader versus Wisconsin on Wednesday. That kicks off a six-Game homestand; Maryland comes to town for three beginning Friday.
#-3: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -6). A 2-2 Week. Managed to avoid the sweep of the visiting (and ranked ... at the time) Maryland Terrapins with a 4-3 squeaker Sunday, a contest in which Manager John Anderson was tossed from the Game. When's the last time that happened? Anyway, with the tilt tied at 3 in the bottom of the Eighth, Brady Counsell, who had tripled, came home on a Wild Pitch. That's the Goofers' first conference Win of the season, which means you take them however you can get them. They then just got by St. Thomas at Sieber Tuesday, 2-1, before getting tripled at Iowa Friday, 9-3.
After finishing up in Iowa City, they host the Tommies for a second consecutive Tuesday. Like with the softballers, that midweek showdown kicks off a six-Game homestand for the Nine; Penn St. comes to town for a trio starting on Friday.
#-4: Twins (Last Week: -4). After losing last Saturday's Game by blowing a lead, they managed to win for the first time in the 2022 season Sunday, then gained a split with Seattle on Monday. They then dropped both ends of a two-Game set vs. the Dodgers at Target. In Wednesday's capper, Dodgers Pitcher Clayton Kershaw was pulled after seven perfect Innings, raising consternation by many who think baseball players are being too coddled in this age of analytics. The hometown Bally Sports North crew, however, actually contributed to this debate with very good reasoning. They kicked off this Jackie Robinson Weekend with an 8-4 victory at the Boston Red Sox yesterday/Friday where, ho-hum, Byron Buxton left the Game after sliding into Second Base awkwardly. Hey, how much WAR can Buck generate on the Injured List?
The season is still young. Let's see if they can generate any heat in Fenway. This series against Boston is actually another four-Game series, so they will be the opponent for the Red Sox's annual Patriots Day/Boston Marathon Game Monday afternoon. They then travel to Kansas City for three before returning to Minneapolis and beginning a three-Game series versus the White Sox Friday.
#-5: United FC (Last Week: -5). A shabby 58th-Minute Goal equaled a 1-0 loss for the Loons at second-Year Austin FC Sunday. First time they've been shut out, but they scored exactly one Goal in each of their previous five Matches to start the Year. And now they're on their first losing streak as they return to Midway tonight/Saturday night and host the Colorado Rapids, who also have two Wins, two Draws, two Losses, and allowed as many Goals and they have scored. It's like they're looking at their twins!!
Oh, and there is also U. S. Open Cup action. The XI go to Madison to take on Forward Madison Wednesday.
#-Infinity: Gopher gymnastics (Re-Entry!). You know what? I think I am going to get into women's college gymnastics a little more. And no, it's not because of what you think.
Minnesota has had outsized enthusiasm for niche/Olympic sports compared to the population, and gymnastics is no different. But after reading this article in the Star Tribune (at work, so you may or may not be able to see it) previewing the Gophers going into the NCAA women's gymnastics Semifinal on Thursday, I was not aware of how many native Minnesotans are both competing and coaching. Yeah, everyone knows of St. Paul's Suni Lee, who competes for Auburn. But I didn't know that her fellow Olympian, Utah's Grace McCallum, is also One Of Us. Three Head Coaches of the eight Semifinalists (including Lee's at Auburn) are from Minnesota. Holy shit!
So I am kind of surprised to go through the U. of M.'s roster and see that Minnesotans comprise less than half of the squad. Sure, the Gophs have Lexy Ramler. But did all the blue-chip gymnasts (and I am shocked I even said that) think they could do better outside the state? Is this a similar situation to men's basketball, where Ben Johnson is furtively trying to put up stake posts and barbed wire to keep top recruits in-state?
Well, I hope what is going with this program makes locals think twice. No, they did not advance to this/Saturday afternoon's Final: Auburn, Florida, Oklahoma and Utah did, and the U. finished third in their Semifinal. But officially they finished sixth, which is the highest ever for the school. Moreover, the Big Ten Conference has seen an uptick in power in the sport, muscling out traditional powers from the SEC and Pac-12. Michigan was also eliminated in the Semis, but they won it all last Year, being the first Big Ten school to do so. The Gophers reached the Semis for the fifth time in program history, and like I said, there is a bevy of talent competing and coaching. Someone on Twitter (I tried to find out who and I failed) said there is reason for high school Minnesotans to stay. That's true. This program is on the rise, and I for one am starting to take notice.
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