Minnesota Sports Forum

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2026 1:00 pm While watching the game I'm no really watching every detail of the defense and offense. But I didn't notice how much we sagged off of Thompson at the end of overtime at least. The player that was guarding Thompson left him basically every possession to help double Durant or Sengun or hit the passing lanes for a steal. Thompson could do nothing to punish us about it, took one bad floater that he missed in ot.

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2026 1:28 pm I'm not buying that Jaden just had cramps. He has been tugging at the area just above his knee for at least 2 weeks. One moment that I thought was really cool is when the camera was isolated on Durant and Jaden while their was a break in the action. KD could tell Jaden was in a lot of pain. I couldn't tell if he said anything to Jaden but he eventually motioned to the Wolves bench that their player was in distress. What I don't know is if he was genuinely concerned for Jaden, or he just wanted him out of the game so he didn't have to deal with him anymore.

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2026 1:30 pm Also, we shouldn't all pretend that the Wolves didn't get away with playground basketball in those last few minutes. Nothing was called where they coud have called multiple fouls on every possession. It was just the capper to a poorly officiated game.

FNG wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2026 10:08 am

kekgeek wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2026 9:47 am

FNG wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2026 9:27 am I just went back to rewatch the final 2:45 of overtime...after Houston had gone up 13, and I'm sure most if not all of us had given up. Mike hits a corner three, and I think "Doesn't mean a thing, but isn't that nice". Then after a stop (actually a miss on a wide open corner three...it looked like our defense had finally given up) Mike makes a nice bounce pass to Ju, and SloMo converts a 3-point play after getting the offensive board. Down 7 now, but I think "Still doesn't mean anything, but how great to have vets like Kyle and Mike to make plays like that". But then Finchy takes Mike out and puts in TJ! We need stops, and he puts in a guy who has struggled on defense???? I join the chorus of posters swearing at Finchy. But then Julius bodies up the insufferable Sengun for an 8 second call...I sit up a little straighter on the couch. I sit up even straighter when SloMo hits a backcutting Donte for a layup and a 5-point game. I'm still not at all confident we have enough offense out there to come all the way back, but I'm enjoying it. The Wolves have 3 guys in full court pressure and Donte almost gets a steal. The pressure looks like it's going to lead to an open look for Houston, but instead they go inside to Sengun...Randle bodies him up again and forces a missed layup, and gets a layup at the other end to narrow the lead to 3. I'm fully engaged now. FastMo (he's not at all slow on defense) is as tight as he can be on KD knowing they want to go to him, the ball gets knocked loose, and even though we can't see what happened along the sideline with the crowd standing, we get the ball...phew! I marvel at the energy our guys are bringing after playing so many minutes (40 for Ju). But since TJ nearly turned the ball over after securing the ball in the scramble (but Donte saved his ass), I swear at Finchy again for having him in the game instead of the more reliable Mike. Donte looks completely gassed after going so hard for all of his 35 minutes, but works hard without the ball to tie the game with a trey...I'm starting to think we're going to win this thing. Again, Randle bullies Sengun into a missed shot, and TJ (why is even in there?) secures the rebound with 30 seconds left. Julius knocks Thompson back three feet shoving him with his left hand (thank you for the no call, refs) and puts us ahead with a mid range on the paint with 8 seconds left...15-0 run! It's going to be KD of course, and he gets to the rim after getting a nice screen. Misses the layup but a foul is called...the Wolves are pissed (why not) but any one of three guys could have been called for the foul. KD is 10 for 10 on the night and the Rockets are 23 for 23, and Horton applies the jinx by mentioning it...it works, as KD is short on the first. Way short, Jim Pete says. The usually smart Jim Pete says they should put Naz Reid in the game for rebounding, somehow forgetting he had been tossed...Horton quietly corrects him (I had the ESPN feed on last night, so I missed all this). We know KD is going to intentionally miss the second, but that only works about 10% of the time...right? KD does it perfectly, but the rebound goes right to TJ, who lets it bounce off his hands out of bounds. Why the fuck is he in there at such a critical moment??? SloMo puts his hands on his head in anguish, but then in a vet move, goes over to encourage TJ. They obviously want to get the ball to KD for the tying midrange, but Donte wisely leaves the inbounding Thompson alone and instead doubles KD so he has no chance of getting the ball. So Thompson has to pass it out to Smith Jr. and someone knocks the ball away! OMG, it's TJ!!!! FNG gets down on his knees and asks for forgiveness from Finchy. Maybe he knows more about basketball than I do.

What a weird game, but what a finish! Posters are talking about Ju's defense at the end, but he was locked in the entire game on defense. If we can get that from him and Ant in the postseason, we'll have a couple more months of Wolves' basketball ahead of us.

Good injury news, too. Ant is ahead of schedule, and Jaden is not injured...only cramps. Let's go beat the Cade-less Pistons!

I chuckled at the Ant is ahead of schedule part. Is he ahead of schedule or is it because he needs to come back at the latest Monday to still make the game limit to make all nba

Haha, I've been wondering about that too! I guess I'm fairly confident the coaching staff isn't going to let him come back until they are certain he is ready. We don't need him Monday to beat a tanking Mavs team that has lost 14 out of 16, so I would be stunned to see him come back for that game. But Ant may be lobbying hard to come back Saturday for the Pistons game...we'll have to see.

I'm not sure how I feel about Ant coming back in all honesty. Last night I thought several times how nice it would be to have him at clutch time and in OT where he has been so good this season. But then I remembered how entertaining this club has been while winning 4 out of 5 without him, including 3 wins against playoff teams. Best case? He's noticed how Ju and others have stepped up on defense, and he comes back committed to joining them in playing defense. Even better case? He's noticed the easy buckets we get when we fast break, and he comes back willing to let someone else push the ball up court rather than taking 10 seconds to set up the half court. Either of these scenarios would make us a much better team, but both make us a serious contender. A poster can dream...

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2026 12:06 am Abe's "1st ever 2nd attempt at a DVR Review" DVR Review:

- I really was compiling a list throughout the game of lil nuggets and obvious things like usual. And all of that was thrown out the window in the final 5 minutes of the 4th quarter and that insane OT. But, here's a few things that are largely irrelevant now.

- McDaniels has been extra sharp on defense (sans one half?) since Edwards went out. He's gotta be one of the best Kevin Durant defenders in the league. Obviously, there are similarities with these guys and how they're built.

- Mike Conley is alive! A runner. Savvy D. Passes to open players. The one rough part of his game is still his three point shooting which is sorta shocking at this point. But it's good to see the old guy having an "old guy still has it" game so far.

- Wolves struggling to shoot... as is Houston. But it sure seems like this newfound tough-minded Wolves defense has a lot to do with the Rockets struggles.

- So this is a game where Bones Hyland doesn't really have his magic. And for the first time, I feel like that's ok because he's not a complete boom or bust player anymore. He's done just enough good things.

- Nearing the end of the half... Rockets want a 2-for-1... and Conley sniffs it out. He played great defense on Sheppard to prevent it. Such a little thing. But such an important thing. And a winning play.

- Naz Reid is battling hard. He's been needed on the boards.

- Wolves up 80 - 73. Reid finds Randle for an open three. It's good... oops. Nope. It spins out. Meanwhile, the Rockets get a second chance three pointer on the other end. Ouch. That seems like it could be important later.

- McDaniels is paying attention in this one. He was playing great. Then, disappeared for a spell. But he's back and putting on a show tonight. I think Durant was 3 for his first 12 vs. McDaniels D, until he got hurt.

- Rough 4th quarter for Randle. At least two airballs. And then that silly flagrant. Granted, it's probably not usually called... but regardless, what a momentum killer.

- Speaking of... for as physical as he plays, Alpert Sengun spends SO MUCH time on the ground. I really dislike those kinds of guys. Are you a tough guy or a flopper? (Meanwhile, later in the game, he calls a Wolves player (Gobert?) a "pussy." Irony.)

- HA. Since I wrote that about Sengun... he was on the ground FOUR more times in this game. Wait, who's the pussy?

- I don't think I can do justice to the rest of the game. There's no explanation. it was a series of mishaps, questionable calls, et al that's just batshit bananas crazy. It looked like the Wolves gave up in OT... until they didn't.

- I'll spare the officiating rant... EXCEPT for a very innocuous moment earlier in the game that illustrates the "Scott Foster" experience. There's only 0.3 on the clock at the end of the half. The Rockets can't take a shot. And when they try, he demonstrably calls it off. Only, that's not the end of it. Instead, Foster makes a big scene and goes to the scorer's table. Why? Nobody knows... but I don't think that was the point. I think the point is that the camera stayed on Scott Foster...

- When they let him play physical, Randle can guard up a position or two. He bullied Sengun those final three minutes.

- Gritty win. Just a gritty win. If that win (and the recent commitment to defense and effort) can't inspire Edwards to join the fray... I have to think it will. How could it not.

- It's amazing what is... and what isn't called... a foul. It's just so damn subjective sometimes. This game is a prime example. Touch fouls called. Brutal attacks (including Randle on Sengun in the late run) not called. Just silliness.

- OK. One more thing about officiating. LOL. (Sorta) I'm guessing most of the people on this forum were slightly upset Finch and some other players didn't go apeshit as the game spiraled. Only Reid got a technical, which was pretty soft. But... another technical, a flameout would have ended any chance the Wolves had to win. Instead, they just kept moving forward. Kept playing. That's sports. That's a healthy winning attitude.

- WOW.