The Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls have exchanged a pair of young guards. 

The Timberwolves got Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips in exchange for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller and four second-round picks. 

Dosunmu was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft. He earned playing time in his rookie year, appearing in 77 games and starting 40. In 2023-24, his points per game jumped to 12.2. His points per game have jumped again this season to 15. He’s in the final season of a three-year contract. 

Dillingham was drafted with the No. 8 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. The Timberwolves had traded up to draft him. In his rookie season, he struggled to find consistent playing time in the crowded Timberwolves guard depth. He was given some playing time this season when Mike Conley was hurt, but failed to show improvement.

Dosunmu has proven himself to be a strong perimeter defender. This will take defensive pressure off Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. However, he doesn’t help much with playmaking. He averages only 3 assists per game in his career. 

Dillingham will look to live up to his lofty draft expectations with the Bulls. He was compared to Kemba Walker and Brandon Jennings. So far, he hasn’t shown the shot creation that either of those guys had. The Bulls have very crowded guard depth as well. Josh Giddey was playing like an All-Star before he got hurt. Meanwhile, Jaden Ivey was also recently acquired in a trade and has shown more potential than Dillingham so far. 

The Timberwolves are trying to make the playoffs for the fifth straight season. They have the fifth-longest playoff streak in the NBA. They currently hold the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. The Bulls will look to balance developing young talent with pursuing a playoff spot. 

A trade that would have sent Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant to the Minnesota Timberwolves was vetoed by the slim reaper.

Recent reports revealed that Durant’s preferred destinations are the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. Despite the details being arranged for a trade to Minnesota and a third team involved, Durant said no.

“League sources have said the Nets were brought in as a potential third team in a deal construct [between Phoenix and Minnesota],” Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm wrote. “But then KD did what is in his right, and sent out word that he doesn’t want to play there.”

The Timberwolves are considered a frontrunner to be Durant’s next team, with odds of +350 on many sportsbooks.

Pairing Durant with Anthony Edwards is a dream scenario for many Timberwolves fans. With this development, however, it seems that Minnesota could be out of the equation.

The 37-year-old has a strong market, which the Suns are utilizing to get the best possible assets in a Durant trade.

The Spurs, Rockets and Heat all have young pieces the Suns could be interested in. The team that lands Durant will likely be the one most willing to part with its young players.

Minnesota Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards was fined $50,000 for “using profane language during a media interview,” the NBA announced Wednesday.

The Timberwolves lost 114-88 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Edwards struggled during the game as he shot 5-of-13 from the field in the loss, as he scored his second-lowest scoring output of the postseason with 18 points. Edwards also had four turnovers and had a plus/minus of -23 when he was on the court.

Earlier in the game, Edwards was assessed a technical foul for throwing the ball back at 2025 League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after a play where Gilgeous-Alexander got fouled. Edwards went back to the locker room after turning his ankle on a landing but was able to return to the floor midway through the second quarter.

Following the loss, Edwards lamented during his postgame news conference that he only took “13 f—ing shots” in the defeat, which led to the $50,000 fine from the NBA.

“I definitely got to shoot more. I took 13 f–– shots,” Edwards said postgame. “But I’ll say probably just get off the ball a little more. Play without the ball. I think that would be the answer, because playing on the ball, they’re just going to double and sit in the gaps all day. So I’ve got to go watch some film and take it apart and figure it out.”

The fine bumped Edwards’ total discipline bill by the league to a total of $430,000 so far for the season.

This comes after star forward Jalen Williams was fined $25,000 for wearing a shirt that said, “F— art, let’s dance,” to his postgame press conference after the Thunder’s series win over the Nuggets on Sunday.

The Thunder lead the best-of-seven series 1-0, with Game 2 on Thursday.

The Minnesota Timberwolves made their return to the Western Conference Finals after beating the Golden State Warriors in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals. In game one of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Timberwolves struggled to make much of an impact on offense as the Thunder won 114-88.

The Thunder’s challenge to defend the Timberwolves and star guard Anthony Edwards was met by forcing the Timberwolves to turn the ball over 19 times, which turned into 31 points for the Thunder. The Thunder defense in the paint was lights out, giving up only 20 points on 43.5% shooting in the key. The Timberwolves were shooting 42.1% beyond the arc to start the game, but eventually the Thunder were able to lock the three-ball down, allowing the Timberwolves to shoot 21.9% beyond the arc the rest of the game.

The Timberwolves only had two players in double figures as Julius Randle had 28 points and eight rebounds while shooting 69.2% from the field and 83.3% from three. Randle struggled to hold on to the ball, turning it over five times, which was the most on the team. Edwards struggled in this game, accounting for 18 points, nine rebounds and four turnovers. He shot 38.46% from the field and 37.5% from three. Edwards went back to the locker room after turning his ankle on a landing but was able to return to the floor midway through the second quarter.

“I definitely got to shoot more. I took 13 f—– shots,” Edwards said postgame. “But I’ll say probably just get off the ball a little more. Play without the ball. I think that would be the answer, because playing on the ball, they’re just going to double and sit in the gaps all day. So I’ve got to go watch some film and take it apart and figure it out.”

Enlightened by the defense, the Thunder took the lead with a 10-0 run that turned into a 17-2 run with Kenrish Williams hitting shots off the bench. Once the fourth quarter started, the Thunder were up by ten points and won the second half by 30 points.

Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander started off cold in the first half, shooting 2-of-13 in the first half, but was able to bounce back, shooting 8-of-14 in the second half. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 31 points and led his team to a game-one win. The Thunder shot 50% from the field and 52.38% from three while having four players in double figures, including Gilgeous-Alexander.

“I didn’t particularly change my mindset, honestly,” Gilgeous-Alexander said postgame. “I tried to continue to be aggressive, trust my work.”

Game two of the Western Conference finals is set for Thursday, May 22, where the Timberwolves will be looking to steal a win on the road from Oklahoma City.

“It’s Game 1,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said postgame. “They won at home. Congrats to them. They played really well. There’s another game in two days.”

Both Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believe they’re getting the short end of the stick when it comes to officiating.

Finch complained to reporters at practice about the Warriors’ physicality with Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert.

“On defensive rebounding, [the Warriors] do a lot of fouling, holding, shoving, pushing and tackling Rudy,” Finch said. “That’s clear. We sent a bunch of those clips in to the league.”

In response, Kerr told reporters that “he didn’t see a foul” on any of the plays Finch referenced. Additionally, Kerr detailed problems around the physicality the Timberwolves use when guarding star Stephen Curry.

“It was just like Houston all over again. They were bear-hugging Steph [Curry], and they could have called six fouls,” Kerr said. “But the league has established the physicality in the playoffs.”

Kerr and Finch might be complaining about physicality, but the game is being called on both sides. Teams to play as physically as possible if referees are allowing leeway.

Kerr acknowledged the difficulty that referees have when calling a game.

“It’s a really hard thing to control,” Kerr said. “Because everybody’s playing so hard and they know what the other team is running.”

Game two of the Warriors and Timberwolves series is on Thursday night. The Warriors won game one 99-88.

The Warriors will be without Curry for game two.

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry has been ruled out of game two after sustaining a grade one hamstring strain. Curry will be re-evaluated in one week, according to the team.

The Warriors, who won game one of their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, will likely be without Curry until at least game five.

Curry exited the game with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter. In just 13 minutes, Curry had 13 points on 5-9 from the field.

“We’re definitely game-planning for him to not be available on Thursday, but we don’t know yet,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Tuesday’s game. “With a hamstring, it’s hard to imagine that he would play Thursday.”

Despite losing Curry early in the game, the Warriors dominated throughout, winning 99-88.

The Timberwolves finished the first half with 31 points, their lowest in the first half this season. Their previous lowest total was 37 points, which also came against the Warriors.

The Warriors led by as much as 23, and despite the Timberwolves cutting the lead to nine points with six minutes left, they were never able to get closer than that.

Jimmy Butler for the Warriors finished with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds. Buddy Hield, who was the Warriors’ leading scorer in game seven against the Houston Rockets, once again led the Warriors with 24 points.

Anthony Edwards for the Timberwolves finished with a double-double, scoring 23 points and 14 rebounds.

As a team, the Timberwolves shot 39.5% from the field and 17.2% from three. Over the last two games, the Timberwolves are 12/76 from three.

“That’s how it goes. You have stretches where you shoot the ball well and stretches where you don’t,” Edwards said. “Tonight we didn’t shoot the ball well, but tonight is over. Next game we’ll shoot the ball really well.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves have announced that Julius Randle will be sidelined for at least the next two weeks.

Randle exited the Timberwolves’ Jan. 30 game against the Utah Jazz after sustaining a potential groin injury, and an MRI later confirmed he has a right adductor strain.

The Wolves will re-evaluate him in two weeks, which means he is expected to miss at least the next six games, with the possibility of more.

Due to his injury, Randle has already missed two games for the Timberwolves, both of which ended in losses to the Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings.

In his first season with the Wolves, he has started in all 48 games, putting up averages of 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, along with shooting 47.0% from the field and 32.1% from three.

Randle spent five seasons with the New York Knicks before being traded in the offseason as part of the deal that brought Karl Anthony-Towns to New York.

In exchange for Towns, the Wolves acquired Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and a first-round pick.

Randle thrived with the Knicks, averaging 22.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists across 330 games. He was selected for three All-Star games and earned spots on the All-NBA Second and Third Teams.

While Randle is sidelined, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels will see most of the action in the frontcourt, while Anthony Edwards will be expected to carry an even bigger scoring load.

Reid, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has stepped into the starting lineup in his absence.

The upcoming NBA All-Star break, beginning late next week, gives Randle a week off to heal, and the Timberwolves are hopeful that he’ll be ready to return for the Feb. 21 road game against the Houston Rockets, followed by back-to-back games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who lead the Western Conference.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was hit with his third fine of the season on Monday after going off on the officiating of the Timberwolves’ 113-103 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

“F—ing terrible, all of ’em, besides the woman,” Edwards told reporters. “But the other two dudes, terrible. Excuses, the reason they call the foul, the reason they don’t call the foul, the s— was terrible. They don’t want to talk back to my coach. They don’t want to talk back to me. I said one thing to the ref, and he gave me a tech. Motherf—er told one of my teammates [that] if I would have said, ‘Y’all calling a bad foul,’ he wouldn’t have gave me a tech…. They never give us the benefit – they penalize me and [Julius Randle] for being stronger than our opponent every night. We don’t get no calls. So, yeah, that’s how I feel about the officials. Every game that we play.”

Edwards disparaged the officiating throughout the season, claiming that it’s discouraged himself and his teammates from attacking the basket. “I get penalized for being stronger than my opponent,” he complained.

He was fined $75,000 for “public criticism of the officiating and using inappropriate and profane language,” bringing his total amount fined to $135,000 on the season.

Edwards was also fined $40,000 for “repeatedly criticizing the officiating” last season, following a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“So I don’t know what’s gotta go down,” he said, discussing what he characterized as consistently bad officiating, “But something gotta happen ’cause that s— is terrible.”

Former New York Knicks shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo and Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, the father of Jalen Brunson, came to blows after a pre-season game, and players needed to intervene.

The game marked DiVincenzo’s first appearance in Madison Square Garden since being traded from the Knicks to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with Julius Randle for Karl-Anthony Towns. The trade came as a blindside to the Villanova graduate, and the hostilities started early in the game. When DiVincenzo went to the free throw line in the first quarter, he exchanged words with a member of the Knick bench, although it is not clear who it was. After the game, DiVincenzo and Brunson pointed fingers at each other and could be seen raising their voices.

DiVincenzo served as a groomsman at Jalen’s wedding, and the two remain close.

TIMBERWOLVES NEWS

“My relationship with Jalen, that’s my brother and my best friend,” he said. “That’s a separate relationship. I’ll talk about that privately, and figure everything out. But it is what it is.”

After the game, Brunson gave his side of the story, as he had his arm around DiVincenzo during the dust-up.
“I was right there,” he said. “It was words of affirmation.”

While the war of words distracted the two sides briefly, they both are set on deep playoff runs in the 2024-25 season after a strong campaign last year. New York lost in game seven of the second round to the Indiana Pacers at home, leaving them with a bad taste in the off-season. The Knicks traded for Miles Bridges along with Towns, putting together a strong, athletic, lengthy team that they hope can compete with the Boston Celtics. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves made it to the Western Conference Finals last season before losing to the Dallas Mavericks. They believe the addition of Randle and DiVincenzo can sure up their bench while giving more minutes to Naz Reid.

Rob Dillingham did not hold onto his black and grey hat for long, as the San Antonio Spurs sent him to the Minnesota Timberwolves last night during the first round of the NBA draft. The Spurs selected the Kentucky PG with the #8 pick, their second selection in the top eight, but struck a deal with Minnesota. In return, the T-Wolves sent back a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap.

At face value, the Timberwolves seem to have won the trade. Minnesota needed to address the one-guard position this off-season as Mike Conley turns 37. Dillingham brings youth and energy to his game, and Conley can take him under his wing to teach the rookie how to survive in the league, standing only 6’1”. The hope for the Western Conference finalists is Dillingham can complement star SG Anthony Edwards as he enters his prime.

Meanwhile, the Spurs are looking to build around rookie of the year C Victor Wembenyama but decided to trade away a 19-year-old oozing with talent. The picks they received may not be helpful six years later, with Edwards at age 29. After taking Stephon Castle #4 last night, San Antonio has a backlog of guards, but the team should focus on the present and not the distant future.

Dillingham won SEC sixth man of the year last season, averaging 15.2 points per game and 3.9 assists while shooting 44% from beyond the arc. His running mate, Reed Sheppard, went #3 to the Houston Rockets as the Wildcat guards became the fourth Kentucky duo to be taken in the first ten picks of an NBA draft.

Minnesota and San Antonio are two teams trending in opposite directions. The Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals this season and 56-26 during the regular season. The Spurs finished with the fifth-worst record in the NBA at 22-60 and were drafted in the top four for the second year.

Luka Doncic took responsibility for the Mavericks loss after game four. Even with a triple-double, the Slovenian went 7-21 from the floor and knew that performance was not enough to beat a talented Minnesota team.

On Thursday, he atoned for his errors.

Doncic detonated during game five, scoring 20 of his 36 points in the first quarter and obliterating the Timberwolves from tip-off to the final buzzer. His running mate, Kyrie Irving, tied up any loose ends, dropping 36 points of his own and stymied any attempted Minnesota run try to make the contest competitive. The Mavericks outshot Minnesota from three, a hallmark of the series, knocking down 15 triples compared to Minnesota’s ten as their offensive outburst rendered the contest complete by halftime. Dallas won all three games in Minnesota on the road, proving that the duo of Doncic and Irving can take care of business anytime, anywhere.

After dropping game four, Dallas did not want to give Minnesota an ounce of belief. Doncic and Co. turned game five into a four-quarter beatdown from the first minute. From the 5:25 mark until the end of the first, Dallas ripped off a 15-1 run, turning a one-possession lead into a commanding 16-point advantage. It became a microcosm of Murphy’s law as Dallas could do no wrong, and Minnesota could not make a shot. Doncic scored or assisted on 10 of the 15 points, while Anthony Edward’s 1-2 at the line was his team’s only point heading into the second.

Dallas did not let their foot off the gas. Five straight points scored or assisted by Irving put the Mavs up 40-21 after the first minute in the second stanza. A Mike Conley jump shot snapped a six-minute drought without a field goal for Minnesota, but the damage was done. Whenever Minnesota responded, Dallas immediately answered, as the Timberwolves never came within less than 16 points for the rest of the quarter or the game. Jason Kidd’s club finished the first half on an 8-2 run, with Irving or Doncic knocking down 75% of the points, and took a 69-40 blowout into the break.

Just like the beginning of each quarter, Dallas exploded to begin the third. The Mavericks blitzed Minnesota for 11 points in three minutes and sucked all life out of the Target Center, with Dallas up by 34. The Timberwolves attempted a comeback, scoring 33 points in the frame while splashing five threes, but still found themselves down 24 heading into the fourth. Irving went 4-10 with two threes in the third, repeatedly breaking Minnesota’s back.

Neither team emptied their benches until three minutes left in the game, but Minnesota waved the white flag long before then. Dallas held a 25-point advantage for most of the quarter, even while playing at half-speed. When the final buzzer sounded, Dallas had put an emphatic exclamation mark on a dominant series win.

After slaying the defending champs, Minnesota came into the Western Conference Finals as the betting favorite. Yet, the Mavericks will face the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals in what should be a blockbuster series. Irving faces his former team, with both parties having sour tastes in their mouth. Kristaps Porzingis also spent a few seasons with Dallas and received an opportunity to exact his revenge. Doncic or Jayson Tatum, two first-team All-NBA players, will win their first championship and begin to cement their legacy.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves’ playoff run that started so brightly ended in despair. Edwards became a certified star during the post-season, but questions remain about whether the surrounding roster best suits his strengths. Minnesota will pay into the luxury tax before the off-season begins and needs to make a franchise-altering decision on whether or not to trade Karl-Anthony Towns.

“It’s like having Mariano Rivera and Dennis Eckersley,” remarked TNT commentator Reggie Miller on the clutch play of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.

Dallas has two of the best closers in the league, and once again, they came through in crunch time. Through three games, the point differential between the two teams is 12 points.

The Mavericks are 3-0.

Doncic and Irving took a winding road to perform at this level in front of the brightest lights, but they are making the most of their moment. After combining for 63 points in game one, they each dropped 33 last night on 20 shots while playing over 40 minutes. They scored or assisted on every Maverick basket from the six-minute mark in the fourth quarter until the end of the game, but Irving’s dagger with a minute left put Dallas up six, securing the win. More impressively, Minnesota fielded the best defense in the NBA in the regular season and bullied Jamal Murray in the last series. Dallas duo’s domination is not coming against lousy opposition. They are breaking down a defense with the defensive player of the year and rendering him ineffective. Now, the Mavericks are one win away from their first NBA finals appearance in a decade.

Back on their home floor, and in front of Patrick Mahomes, Dallas played their best first half of the Western Conference Finals. P.J. Washington carried the offense early, scoring or assisting on eight of the first 19 Mavericks points. Irving closed the quarter with five points in the final 90 seconds, as the Mavs lead 33-28 at the end of one.

The three-point shooting advantage went decisively in Dallas’ favor the whole night, beginning in the second quarter. Three of Dallas’ first five makes in the second came from the long ball, helping extend their advantage to 12 at the midway point in the second. The Mavs went 14-28 from behind the arc in the game, compared to a dismal 9-30 performance from the Timberwolves. Jason Kidd’s squad went into halftime with a lead for the first time all series, but Minnesota’s points on four out of their five final possessions cut into their advantage.

Trailing 60-52 and 2-0 in the series, Minnesota never looked rattled. They saw Denver almost come back down from the same series line in the previous round and knew they needed to settle down and find their game. Led by Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves played their best 12 minutes of the night. They scored 35 points in the third and made 4-6 threes, compared to one Dallas triple. Edwards came alive with ten points, including a slam that could be considered the best dunk of the playoffs. Minnesota turned the up-and-down pace into a physical street fight that suits their style. At the end of three, the teams were knotted up at 87, with each group desperate for a win.

It feels like the only way to beat this Mavericks team right now is to blow them out because if the game is close late, the two closers will turn out the lights. Irving scored the first seven points for Dallas in the fourth as he kept pace with a hot Minnesota start coming out of the T.V. timeout. The teams stayed within one possession of each other for the first ten minutes of the quarter before Irving passed the baton to Doncic, who hit a highly contested 11-foot jump shot, putting Dallas up 109-105 with two minutes to go. Karl-Anthony Towns had a chance to atone for his disastrous shooting night but clanked his eighth consecutive miss from three off the rim with 1:25 left before Irving ended it with a fallaway jumper on the ensuing possession. An alley-oop to Daniel Gafford, who came on for an injured Derek Lively II, put the exclamation point on another hard-fought, clutch win. Dallas can close out the Timberwolves on their home floor Tuesday and complete a sweep in the WCF for the second straight season.

The Dallas Mavericks were not supposed to win this game.

After the Mavs came from behind and stole game one on the road, Minnesota threw their best punch, needing a split to keep pace in the Western Conference Finals.

Everything went according to plan until Luka Doncic had different ideas.

Since going 6-20 in game four of the semifinals, Doncic dropped 29 or more points in the next four games, played over 40 minutes in all of them and the Mavs are 4-0.

Last night, the Slovenian sensation unleashed his full potential, scoring 32 points, making 13 assists, and securing ten rebounds, a triple-double. His late-game heroics draw most of the attention, but without his play up until that point, Dallas would not be in that position. Doncic outperformed every other star on the floor. His running mate, Kyrie Irving, put up only 20 points while taking 16 shots. Minnesota’s best player, Anthony Edwards, looks exhausted and shot 29% from the field, and Karl-Anthony Towns sat on the bench in crunch time in favor of Naz Reid. Add in that Doncic’s game-winning shot went over the 7’1” defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert and game two will be remembered as the Luka Doncic game if Dallas holds on to win the series.

Like the ending of game one, the teams went shot for shot in the first quarter. They stayed within one possession of each other for the first nine minutes of the frame before a Reid three gave Minnesota an early six-point lead. The sixth man of the year’s shot destroyed the Dallas defense. He went 7-9 from long range while making his first five. The offensive explosion continued to start the second as another Reid triple capped off a 16-9 run in the first four minutes of the quarter, giving Minnesota a 48-33 advantage. Their lead swelled to 18 after an Edwards three, but Dallas scored on four of their final five possessions to end the half and whittled the deficit to 12.

Mike Conley went to the line for three shots for three shots after being fouled on a long-range jumper, and Minnesota went ahead by 15 for the first time in the second half. But Doncic did not go away and began to heat up. With 7:21 left in the third, he scored or assisted on the following nine Dallas points, cutting the lead to six. Minnesota scored on their last five possessions of the quarter, with another Reid three as an exclamation point, but Dallas found themselves within seven, heading into the fourth.

All the Mavericks needed was a chance.

Irving took the load off Doncic to start the frame and scored or assisted on all eight points of an 8-0 Dallas run, putting his team in front for the first time 87-86. From then on, neither team went down by more than five for the rest of the game. Two free throws with 1:29 from Edwards capped 12 straight possessions that ended in points coming from dunks, layups, or free throws for either squad. The sides attacked each other inside as fatigue and intensity increased. But Irving chose the perfect time to hit Dallas’ first three of the frame.

A Doncic drive and kick left the PG alone in the corner, and he sunk the shot, pulling his team within two. Two straight Minnesota turnovers left the door open for Dallas, and Doncic burst through with a game-winning three after a Kidd timeout with 12 seconds to go. Reid missed a three on the other end as Minnesota lost the series’ first two games at home. The backcourt duo of Irving and Doncic are performing reminiscent of the Golden State Warriors run and find themselves two wins away from an NBA finals appearance.

It was not supposed to be this way.

The young up-and-coming team taking on the defending champions. A sports-cursed city where everything that can go wrong has gone wrong since the turn of the century. A game seven on the road while trailing by double figures most of the night. All the circumstances pointed to the Timberwolves’ story ending Sunday.

Coming into Sunday night, teams that fell behind by 15 points or more at the half went 0-21.

They are 1-21 now.

Even with Anthony Edwards playing his worst post-season game, Minnesota turned around a 20-point third-quarter deficit into a double-digit lead by the end of the game. Naz Reid played most of the second half off the bench and finished as one of six Minnesota players with double figures. The Timberwolves defense, their calling card for the whole season, suffocated a high-powered Denver offense in the second half to only 37 points as Minnesota flipped the script to meet the Dallas Mavericks in the WCF.

Two different games played out throughout two halves, and in the first one, Denver competed like a team on a mission. Jamal Murray, who started 1-10 in game six, dominated early on. He dropped 13 of his 35 points in the opening 12 minutes and helped secure a five-point lead going into the second quarter. Denver raced out to an 8-0 run over the first three minutes of the frame, leading 32-19. Denver’s defense put Edwards and Co. in a straight jacket the entire half, holding Minnesota to 19 points in both the first and the second as their intensity put Minnesota in a straight jacket for the first half.

It went from bad to worse for Chris Finch’s club as Murray knocked down five straight points in the opening minute of the second half, giving Denver a commanding 58-38 advantage.

With their backs against the wall, Minnesota dug in.

The statistically best defense was worth its weight in gold, as it held Denver to only nine points for the rest of the quarter. Offensively, Minnesota fought its way back into the game with timely threes, making four of its ten long balls in the quarter. Minnesota outscored Denver 28-14 in the third and trailed 67-66.

The teams traded buckets to begin the fourth as five straight possessions ended with points, but Denver could not keep the pace. Nikola Jokic sat only one minute in the second half, and his legs began to wear out. The Nuggets could not keep up defensively and resorted to fouling to slow down the T-Wolves. Minnesota entered the bonus with 7:23 left in the game, and their foul shooting sent them into the next round. They sunk 12 of their 26 made free throws in the fourth and outscored Denver by 12 at the charity stripe for the game.

On the opposite end, Michael Malone could not find an answer for Minnesota’s daunting defense, and the Nuggets crumbled. After a Jokic triple cut their deficit to three, Denver scored only four points for the next four minutes and 41 seconds. By the time the Serbian sunk a free throw, his team trailed 92-83 with 2:05 left in their season. Minnesota took care of business, scoring the rest of their points from free throws or in the paint and completing the improbable and almost impossible comeback 98-90.

Minnesota fell behind in the series 3-2 and trailed the entire first half, but Edwards’ moxy gave the team confidence that Denver could not finish them off. For a 22-year-old to lead his team on the road and never lose faith even while shooting 25% from the floor proves that the next NBA superstar is here.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets need to go back to the drawing board after getting bounced on their home floor. Murray and Jokic did all they could to keep the season alive, combining for 69 of the team’s 90 points. But the rest of the supporting cast let them down. No other player reached double figures, and only one player on the bench played for more than nine minutes. The wear and tear of playing into June last year and facing one of the most physical teams in the playoffs took its toll. For Denver to reach the pinnacle again, they must change their depth over the off-season.

Anthony Edwards does not shy away from the moment.

Even after his team lost three in a row to the defending champions, the 22-year-old called his shot and told the Denver locker room attendants he would see them on Sunday.

He delivered on his promise.

Led by their budding superstar, Minnesota set the court ablaze with a dominating 45-point blowout victory on their home floor. The Timberwolves ran the Nuggets out of the building, going on a 20-0 run in the first quarter and a 24-0 run in the fourth, where they dismantled Michael Malone’s men. Minnesota PG Mike Conley returned from injury after missing game five, and his work as a table setter stabilized a struggling offense coming into Thursday night. When the offense sputtered, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid and Karl-Anthony Towns obliterated Denver on the glass, combining for 41 rebounds between the three big men; Denver corralled only 43 rebounds as a team.

Although the scoreline ended up in the Timberwolves’ favor, the first three minutes looked rocky. Denver raced out to a 9-2 lead, causing Minnesota to call timeout just three minutes into the game. Whatever they said needs to be bottled up and sold to the general public as Chris Finch’s squad ripped off its first 20-0 run of the game. Minnesota scored however they wanted as they sprayed the ball around the perimeter for wide-open threes or dunked it home down low. 23 of the 31 points Minnesota scored in the first quarter came from a triple, layup or dunk. Edwards dropped in 14 points of his own in the opening 12 minutes as his team led 31-14 at the end of the frame.

Denver responded early in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 11 at 8:32 after Aaron Gordon made three. Still, without consistent offense from Jamal Murray, the Nuggets did not get any closer. The star point guard went 1-9 in the first half, including shooting 0-3 from long range. Without his scoring touch and Denver struggling from beyond the arc, they went 7-36 from deep in the game; the Nuggets mustered only 40 points at the half and trailed by an insurmountable 19 points.

Minnesota did not mess around to start the third and continued to jump all over Denver, outscoring their opponent 17-10 in the first six minutes of the quarter. The lead swelled to 25 entering the fourth, but as Malone waved the white flag and took out his starters with ten minutes left in the game, Minnesota sent a message. The Timberwolves torched the Denver reserves as they ripped off 19 consecutive points before the Nuggets made a free throw. Minnesota swished five deep balls in the fourth as their outside shooting burred Denver. They ended up romping Denver by 45 and carried all the momentum on the road in a game seven.

Minnesota had yet to lose three games straight all season.

Unit Tuesday.

With the series shifting back to Denver and the Nuggets carrying all the momentum after taking games three and four in Minnesota, they put forth a professional performance as they went one step closer to defending their title. Nikola Jokic scored 40 points along with 13 assists as his strong offensive play bewildered the best statistical defense in the NBA over the regular season. Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns did a nice job early in the series against the Serbian, but Jokic played like the MVP last night as he put together his best performance of the playoffs. Four other Nuggets players went for double figures, and the balanced offensive attack led to their first win at home against Minnesota.

Both teams traded jabs at the beginning of the game, as each team knew how pivotal game five was. Minnesota started scorching from deep, shooting 4-5 from three, running stride for stride with Denver. However, the Timberwolves could not keep up that pace from long range, and their offense stagnated in the second. Chris Finch‘s club only mustered 18 points in the ensuing quarter as their points disappeared beyond the arc. The Timberwolves finished shooting 4-21 from three after knocking down four of their first five. Considering Denver does not take many threes, a low-scoring, half-court game fit their style of play, and they felt confident going into halftime with a 50-44 lead.

With the game being played at the Nuggets pace, Jokic took over in the third. He scored 16 points in the quarter and assisted on ten more as Denver dropped a 38-point barrage on the Timberwolves, taking a 14-point lead into the fourth. Minnesota star Anthony Edwards did his best to keep pace, scoring half of his points in the third, but it would not be enough. Edwards finished with just five made shots on the night as he cooled off from his blistering start to the series. He will need to regain his usual form if Minnesota can win two games in a row against the defending champions.

The Timberwolves did not quit to start the final frame and cut the lead to ten after a Naz Reid dunk with nine minutes to go, pressuring the Nuggets to call timeout.

Denver threw their knockout punch right after.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s back-to-back threes ignited the Ball Center crowd before a Jokic dunk sent the arena into a frenzy, forcing Finch to call for a stoppage. The Nuggets went on an 8-0 run in 90 seconds and put the game to rest, as Minnesota could only get within 11 before Denver put the finishing touches on a 112-97 victory.

The Nuggets returned to their old ways after falling behind 2-0 in the series. Their efficiency on offense makes it challenging for Minnesota to match their production, and Jokic’s ability to find the open man on almost every possession has begun to frustrate the Timberwolves’ defense. Minnesota can make one last stand on their home floor Thursday night as they look to force a game seven back in Denver.

The Denver Nuggets are the defending champs for a reason.

With star PG Jamal Murray hampered by a calf injury, facing a 2-0 hole and needing two wins on the road in front of a deafening Minnesota crowd, the Nuggets provided their championship mettle and tied the series at two.

On Sunday, Denver once again relied on the stellar performances of its key players, Nikola Jokic, Murray and Aaron Gordon. They stepped up to the challenge and carried the team to victory, reclaiming home-court advantage.

Jokic and Gordon combined to shoot 7-9 in the first quarter as the Nuggets finished the opening 12 minutes leading 29-24. Usually, the three-time MVP provides quieter second quarters as he sits to start the frame. However, with his team down 2-1, he dominated off the bench and put up eight points and three assists in just nine minutes to ensure Denver went into halftime up 15.

Minnesota battled back in the third quarter, led by Anthony Edwards. Arguably the best player of the playoffs so far, Edwards dazzled after the break, scoring 16 points in the third on 6-8 shooting. He put on his athleticism, shot-making ability and never-say-die attitude for the world to see as he singlehandedly tried to pull the Timberwolves back into the contest. Unfortunately, he did not receive much help from the rest of his teammates as Karl-Anthony Towns dried up and shot 5-18 on the night. Edwards finished 5-8 from behind the arc, but the rest of the Timberwolves combined for a disappointing 6-20 effort from long range, with only Mike Conley splashing more than one triple.

Minnesota cut the lead to single digits to start the fourth, but the lack of a balanced or consistent offensive attack eventually did Minnesota in. The Nuggets, led by Jokic, won the assist battle 29-21 and found open shots all night against the statistically best defense in the NBA. Gordon finished 11-12 and knocked down 27 points. Along with his prolific passing, the Serbian scored 16 points in the final frame and lifted Denver to a 115-107 win.

Postgame, Edwards felt that the Nuggets “gained no momentum” and shared that he and Murray exchanged pleasantries at half-court with time expiring. The Timberwolves’ defense keeps them in every game, and their rip-your-heart-out mentality can break even the strongest sides. But, as the series progresses, Denver continues to prove why they were the odds-on favorite to win the title for most of the year.

Jokic has begun to put his fingerprints all over the series after being a non-factor in the opening two games. To make matters worse, Minnesota needs to win another game at 5,280 feet if they want to advance after stealing two on the road earlier in the week. Denver boasted a 33-8 record at the Ball Center during the regular season, and veteran teams do not usually lose three in a row at home.

After a sleepy start to the series, the champs are here.

They just put the rest of the league on notice.

Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards received a $40,000 fine from the NBA Wednesday for criticizing referees. Edwards repeatedly commented to reporters about officiating decisions after the team’s 107-101 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.

“The refs was bad tonight. Yeah, they was terrible,” Edwards said after the game Tuesday, according to ESPN. “The cat got their tongue tonight, so it’s all good. It’s not fair, but it’s all good.”

The NBA has several rules protecting referees and has levied several similar fines against players and referees in the past. Edwards did not seem vocal during the game, but his comments after the game were more than enough based on league precedent.

Paul George and Steve Kerr have also reportedly received similar fines for the same infraction.

“I’m going to take the fine, because the refs did not give us no calls tonight,” Edwards said after the game.

Though the Timberwolves struggled with referees earlier this week, they still won against the Thunder and continued a stellar season. With another dominant 121-87 win over the Mavericks Wednesday, the team improved to 34-14 and is currently first in the Western Conference. The Thunder is currently the only team within striking distance and just fell to Minnesota earlier this week.

Minnesota’s ascendance to championship contender in the 2023-24 season coincides with the best year of Edwards’ young career. In 45 games, the rising star is scoring 25.5 points per game. He and big man Karl-Anthony Towns have formed one of the best duos in the league, racking up regular season wins with a high-flying offense.

Edwards’ $40,000 fine will likely be an afterthought as he looks to carry on this promising Timberwolves season. Barring a late-season collapse, the team is almost certain to earn a high seed in the playoffs. It would be an unfamiliar role for a Minnesota team typically accustomed to also-ran status.

Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended for five games by the NBA after getting into an altercation with Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert on Tuesday. Green put Gobert in a headlock during the heated multi-player exchange, provoking the NBA to act.

NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars reportedly said that Green’s status as a “repeat offender” resulted in a lengthier suspension. Gobert has been extremely vocal, repeatedly calling Green a “clown” to reporters.

The Timberwolves star claimed after the game that he was expecting Green to misbehave after he learned that Steph Curry would not play.

“It’s kind of funny because before the game, I was telling myself that Steph is not playing, so I know Draymond is going to try and get ejected,” Gobert said. “Because every time Steph doesn’t play, he doesn’t want to play — it’s his guy Steph. He’ll do anything he can to get ejected.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr defended Green after the game, as well as Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who was also ejected after the scuffle. Thompson will not be suspended. Gobert responded to Kerr’s defense with a familiar sentiment.

“He’s backing his guy, but I think he knows,” Gobert told The Athletic. “Deep inside, he (doesn’t) want to say it but his guy is a clown.”

Green is well known for his behavior on the court, which often frustrates the Warriors’ opponents and occasionally leads to physical incidents. This suspension is the fifth of his career but the first to extend beyond a single game. It will cost him more than $700,000 in compensation. Only one suspension has ever come for an action that took place during play.

For his part in the incident, Gobert will have to pay a $25,000 fine. Thompson and the Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels will have to pay the same. Gobert is expected to appeal.

“Every situation is different, but to me, that was more than just a reaction. That was a personal attack,” Gobert said. “Me being fined when I was being a peacemaker, and I chose to keep my hands up while I was being assaulted, it’s shameful. Shameful. And I’m going to appeal that fine.”

Minnesota gets to keep one of the better and younger backup centers in the NBA, as the Timberwolves extend Naz Reid to a three-year, $42 million extension, as it was announced Sunday, as his agents told ESPN’s, Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 23-year-old has developed into great depth insurance off the bench as a potential spot starter. The undrafted rookie from LSU signed a two-way contract back in 2019, as the 6’9″ center averaged 22.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, with a 61.7% true shooting percentage in his four-year career. This is with limited time off the bench, per 36 minutes this season, and averaging only 18.4 minutes per game due to the lineup ahead of him.

This includes the likes of star centers Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert. The 42-40 Wolves from last season get to keep a part of their young core, as Reid was a pending free agent prior to the extension. For slightly more than the midlevel exception, Minnesota gets to keep their big man to develop behind KAT and Gobert in a crowded frontcourt. But having him on the team is better than him leaving for nothing, as a trade is still a possibility for Reid.

The Athletic‘s Jon Krawczynski reported after the trade deadline that more than a dozen teams had called Minnesota about Reid, so now on this contract, the young center will be an appealing trade target still during the upcoming season. Even with the limited minutes, he will have for the Timberwolves, Reid and his agents did negotiate for a player option in his final (3rd) season so that is on the table if both KAT and Gobert are still on the team. This extension allows him to continue playing his role where he had success, under head coach Chris Finch.

Had Reid entered free agency, even as a budding star due to his age, a team might have wanted to pay him more than the non-taxpayer midlevel exception (which comes with a starting salary of $12.4 million). The Timberwolves gave him a bit extra for a hometown discount, as Reid will make $13 million in 2023-24, $14 million in 2024-25, and will then have a $15 million option in 2025-26.

For both parties, this is risk-averse and a win-win for both Reid and the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he would be a free agent as a 26-year-old, which is still young in the NBA.