Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 4.2.25

Apr 2

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Gophers and Belmont tonight in the WBIT Final in Indy. If you want to make this second chance tournament feel legit, why play the Final at 5 p.m. local time? Game is on ESPN2.

I’d take Paige Bueckers over Caitlin Clark most days…

Wolves Beat Nuggets in NBA Game of the Year

If you went to bed early (or even at a reasonable time), you missed the NBA’s game of the year.

The Wolves overcame two suspensions and a 61-point triple double by Nikola Jokic in a wild 140-139 double OT win at Denver.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 34 points (in 50 minutes) but it was Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s two free throws with .1 seconds left that provided the win. Russell Westbrook had stolen the ball but taken an ill-advised 2-on-1 layup (the Nuggets could have tried to run out the clock, or at least gotten fouled), and then fouled NAW on a 3-point attempt.

Jokic? All he did was provide the league’s third-only 60-point-or-more triple double, and he didn’t come out of the game after halftime.

The best news for the Wolves is the slumping Grizzlies, because Minnesota wakes up today tied with Memphis for sixth (Golden State keeps winning). You can’t underestimate how important the next two games games are against non playoff teams - Brooklyn and Phlly, both on the road. Six games remain. Minnesota is only 2.5 games out of fourth, but if the playoffs started today they’d be in the dreaded in play-in.

Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid will return from their one-game suspensions Thursday in Brooklyn.

Wild Lost in Shootout in Jersey, but Earn Big Point

The Wild rebounded with a better effort against the Devils in the rematch on Monday, but still only picked up a point in a 3-2 shootout loss in Newark. But it was a big point with seven games left, starting tonight at the Islanders, a team that’s lost five straight and is clinging onto playoff hopes by a whisker

Minnesota officially fell to eighth overall in the West after St. Louis won its 10th straight last night. That would set up a first-round matchup with Las Vegas, instead of Winnipeg, a delight for sportswriters. The Wild is six points clear of Calgary and seven of Vancouver with eight games left (Flames and Canucks each have a game in hand).

Matt Boldy, who always scores big goals in New Jersey, forced overtime with just more than two minutes left. Overall, the Wild played its best game in recent memory.

Twins Win!

Trailing by three and two outs already in the sixth, the Twins scored five runs en route to their first win of the season after four losses, 8-3 over the White Sox in Chicago. Series finale today at 1, with Pablo Lopez getting his second start of the season weather permitting. Home opener is Thursday against the Astros.

The Twins appeared well on their way to an 0-5 mark. They were down 3-0 with two outs in the sixth, when Byron Buxton and Trevor Larnach worked back-to-back walks. Minnesota got four run-scoring singles in the next five at bats, with a further rally being prevented when Edouard Julien got caught stealing home.

Concerns remain about Carlos Correa (0-for-17), although he made a diving grab in the eighth inning with two on and one out and the Twins up two. Buxton (2-for-17) also is off to a slow start. Simeon Woods Richardson was so-so for four innings, but the bullpen allowed just one run in five frames.

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