Years ago, legend was that a certain media member had a strategy when the Wild and Timberwolves were playing at home on the same night. The formula for deciding where to go was this:
Catch the pregame media meal in St. Paul and then head for Minneapolis to watch the Wolves. Why? The food was too good to pass up at the “X,” but he preferred to spend most of the evening covering basketball.
On a rare, perhaps unique evening on Thursday, Minnesota’s NHL and NBA teams will both host games leading 3-2 in best of seven playoff series. Fans can make their own choices on culinary offerings, but whether you go to St. Paul or Minneapolis things will be “cookin.”
The taste in the mouths of Wild fans is likely to be sweeter near midnight Thursday than for Wolves patrons. The Wild has a healthier roster and is coming off a 4-2 win last evening in Dallas against the Stars. The Wolves are without two injured starters, including their best player in Anthony Edwards, and lost in Denver Monday to the Nuggets in a game that may have changed the series’ momentum.
The Wild hasn’t given up more than four goals in a game so far. Last night Minnesota blocked 25 Dallas shots and allowed 22 on goal, the franchise’s lowest postseason total in almost five years. Wild rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt stopped 20 shots. Starting in all five games, he has 2.05 goals against average and .926 save percentage. After last night’s game ESPN hockey analyst P.K. Subban told a national audience the Wild is playing the best of any NHL team defensively.
This is a series that could already be over with the Wild winning 4-2. A what-if happened in the third game. In the first overtime period Minnesota superstar Kirill Kaprizov had a near miss winning goal in a double overtime 3-2 loss in St. Paul.
After last night’s game Kaprizov was leading all NHL players in points during the playoffs with nine (two goals and seven assists). He’s part of a talented roster that includes veterans and newcomers.
Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin boosted the team’s Stanley Cup playoff chances with the December trade acquiring Quinn Hughes. He’s considered one of the sports’ best defensemen. Just last month the Wild added forward Mike McCarron who has two goals in the series with the Stars. With 7:47 in the third last night he had a clutch goal sending the Wild ahead 3-1 in the game.
Timberwolves GM Tim Connelly made a savvy in-season move, too, when he acquired guard Ayo Dosunmuin in a multiplayer deal with the Bulls. The trade has been a godsend for the Wolves who gave up guard Rob Dillingham who has made minimal impact in Chicago while Dosunmu is showing star potential.
In 42:01 minutes off the bench last Saturday, Ayo Dosunmu scored a career-high 43 points on 13-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-5 from three and a 12-of-12 from the free throw line. The Wolves needed that performance because Edwards only played about 17minutes before a knee injury sidelined him in that game and for the series.
Minnesota went up 3-1 in the series last Saturday, but things are cozier now after Denver’s 125-113 win on Monday night. The Wolves were playing not only without Edwards, but also a second starter in guard Donte DiVincenzo, who tore his right Achilles tendon last Saturday. The Nuggets played without key starter Aaron Gordon on Monday because of a serious calf strain and he is questionable for tomorrow night.
Defensive strategy, intensity and skill is likely to decide Game 6 tomorrow night at Target Center. Wolves center Rudy Gobert, 33, has at times played some of his best career defense in the series against Denver center Nikoa Jokic—regarded by some authorities as the best basketball player in the world. In Saturday’s game he was -12 in the NBA plus-minus ratings impact but Monday was +12.
Wolves defender Jaden McDaniels has made scoring an uphill battle for All-Star Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray. In the series he has three games shooting under 40 percent (including two under 32 percent). In three of the games his plus-minus has been -13, -12 and -4.
The Nuggets’ best strategy against what can be a hounding Wolves defense could be early in the game positioning Jokic in the low block and consistently giving him the basketball in an effort to put Gobert in foul trouble. As Gobert and other defenders sag on Jokic, the spacing could open up better looks at the hoop for Murray.
Worth Noting
April is National Humor Month which brings to mind Minnesota sports characters who made us laugh.
The late Sid Hartman mangled more than a few words during his WCCO Radio career. A favorite was when he described an athlete that tore his “Khrushchev.”
Former WCCO colleague Dark Star’s phone voice mail said if it’s good news or money, leave a message.
A friend sent this quote by former Twins owner Calvin Griffith: “I can’t tell you exactly what I intend to do, but I can tell you one thing. It won’t be anything rational.”