Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 11.27.24

Nov 27

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Monday/Wednesday Takeouts only this week.

If you’re working today, try to work harder than the Wolves did for 40 minutes last night. More on that in a minute.

The Vikings look for their second five-game winning streak this season when they host Arizona on Sunday. Minnesota, a 3.5-point favorite, hasn’t played a home game in four weeks.

The Gophers finish out the regular season at Camp Randall, where the Badgers are 2.5-point favorites despite a four-game losing streak.

Wolves Make it Way Too Hard on Themselves, Lose in OT

Time is ticking for the Timberwolves. Yes, they’re not even at the NBA’s three-quarter pole, but what about this team excites you right now or makes you think their 8-9 record is an anomaly?

The Wolves rallied from 18 down last night to lead late in regulation, but had back-to-back awful offensive turnovers before eventually losing 117-111 in overtime at home to the Rockets. You’ll have to look at the miserable lime green court again Friday, with the Wolves out of the NBA Cup in-season tournament.

Let’s break down the many issues.

Julius Randle, acquired in the KAT trade, looks like a men’s league player at The YMCA. An iso player, he has no chemistry with anyone.

Donte DiVincenzo, also via the KAT trade, played just 21 minutes in a starting role and missed all four of his 3-point attempts.

Rudy Gobert, on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter, was outside the 3-point line ready for a fast break when the Rockets pulled an offensive rebound. He’s the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He negated a Rob Dillingham layup with a blatant offensive foul with less than a minute left.

Jaden McDaniels missed seven of his eight 3-point attempts, including a couple big ones down the stretch. At this point you’ve got to give the ball up, but to whom?

Rob Dillingham was better than his 5-for-13 performance makes you think. The rookie is going to be a solid player in this league. He had seven assists and five rebounds too, but instead of milking the clock on the possession before Gobert’s foul, he hurried himself into a turnover.

The Wolves had 17 turnovers in all, and shot just 9-for-38 (23.7 percent) from 3-point range.

Minnesota didn’t have a three-game losing streak during the 2023-24 regular season, and now has two this season. They’ve got no time to recover, playing Sacramento tonight before the Clippers on Friday.

No. 1 Bests No. 2 at The X

The Wild is vastly improved from last season and is likely to make the playoffs, but they’re going to have to start beating Winnipeg, Dallas and Colorado on occasion to make any difference at all.

Minnesota dominated the first two periods against NHL-leading Winnipeg on Monday night, but ran into the proverbial “hot goalie” in Connor Hellebuyk. The Jets won 4-1, and the Wild has not won a single game against the Jets, Stars or Avalanche since the start of the 2023-24 season.

The Wild, which began the night second in the NHL, threatened to blow the doors off the Jets early. They outshot them 22-7 in the first period, but just 1:26 after Jake Middleton scored midway through the first period, Alex Iafallo tied things up.

Former Wild forward Nino Niederreiter took advantage of a poor defensive play by Yakov Trenin for the go-ahead and eventual winning goal in the second, a period the Wild enjoyed a 17-13 shot advantage. Minnesota had 39 shots through 40 minutes, but just one goal, and the Jets clamped down as they are good at doing in the third period.

Minnesota is at Buffalo tonight trying to avoid its first three-game winless streak of the season. They’re at home Friday at 1 p.m. against Chicago in the traditional day-after-Thanksgiving matinee.

Gopher Hockey

The No. 3 Minnesota men have played just four home games this season, but that will change with an eight-game homestand beginning against Alaska Friday. The Gophers don’t again play outside Minnesota until Jan. 10.

The Gopher women are off this weekend.

Gopher Hoops

The Gophers women, sans Mara Braun, play Houston and Louisiana in the Big Easy Classic Friday and Saturday.

The Gopher men bested Central Michigan 68-65 on Monday night behind 22 points and 11 rebounds from Dawson Garcia. They’re at the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando for Thanksgiving, playing Wichita State on Thursday and either Florida or Wake Forest.

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