Minnesota Timberwolves

Starting out the week of our new year, the Timberwolves faced the Los Angeles Lakers on the 2nd and the Los Angeles Clippers in a back-to-back in LA on the 3rd. The Wolves played okay, but it was still a loss, 108-103. The Wolves were missing some of their star players and two-thirds of their big three in Karl Anthony-Towns and D’Angelo Russell. 

On Monday, however, the Wolves were still without Russell and Towns, but they won in convincing fashion, scoring 122 points to the Clippers’ 104. The Wolves made it rain from behind the arc, making 16 threes throughout the game. Anthony Edwards was the star of that game scoring 28 on 11-17 shooting.

On Wednesday, the Wolves were more fortunate, not only with who their opponent was, being the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the fact that Karl Anthony-Towns and D’Angelo Russell were both able to return to competition after being out on the COVID-19 reserve. The Wolves looked pretty good in this outing, however, neither team was able to score above 100 points.

The Wolves had a super strong first quarter by scoring 30 points and holding OKC to just 10. Jaylen Nowell looked very strong in this game, much like his past games. Towns was the star for the Wolves with 17 points, 3 assists, and 16 rebounds, for the Thunder it was rising 19-year-old star Josh Giddey. He scored 14 points, crashed the boards for 15 rebounds, and finished his playmaking night with 6 assists. The final score for this game was 98-90.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings played on the 2nd of January on Sunday Night Football in a primetime matchup versus the Green Bay Packers for the Vikings’ last chance at a playoff spot. Only one problem, the Packers weren’t missing anybody but Randall Cobb and the Vikings were missing Kirk Cousins. 

Despite the fans wanting Head Coach Mike Zimmer to start rookie Kellen Mond, he started Sean Mannion instead. The Vikings didn’t score until the last seconds of the second quarter; meanwhile, the Packers scored 20 points in the first two quarters. The final score for the game was 37-10, with Green Bay taking the win in easy fashion. 

With the loss on Sunday Night, the Vikings’ playoff hopes came to a close. They were eliminated from playoff contention following the loss to Green Bay.

Minnesota Wild

            The Minnesota Wild should have played on Monday the 3rd, however, the game was postponed due to COVID-19 complications. The Wild did fairly well in their second game of the new year, taking a win against the Boston Bruins 3-2. The Bruins scored first in the first period but the Wild quickly caught up to them and took the lead off of a Kiril Kaprizov goal, and a Nico Sturm Power Play Goal. That marked Kaprizov’s 14th goal of the season and just Sturm’s 6th. 

            In the second period, the rookie returning to his hometown Matt Boldy scored the 3rd Wild goal of the game and his first in his young career. Not too soon after the Wild took a devastating blow not just to their personnel by losing Kirill Kaprizov, but also giving up their second goal of the game. 

            However the Wild stuck it out to the end, after some chaotic last 20 seconds, the Wild took home the away game win.