Who knew that Wolves would be more comfortable in their natural habitat?

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Mehmet Okur and Dominick Barlow! 🎉

Playoff Recaps

Ant drops 30 as Timberwolves dominate Thunder 143-101, bring WCF to 2-1

Allow Anthony Edwards to reintroduce himself.

On Saturday, Minnesota battled back in the Western Conference Finals, taking Game 3 by a resounding 42-point margin in a statement win over the top-seeded Thunder. In front of a rocking Target Center crowd, the Wolves dominated from the opening tip, with Edwards outscoring OKC by himself in the opening period (16-14) en route to 30 PTS in three quarters.

Add in Julius Randle, who bounced back with 24 PTS after a down night in Game 2, and a defense that held SGA (14 PTS) to just 4/13 shooting, and you have all the ingredients necessary for a T-Wolves blowout.

While we’ve seen some crazy comebacks this postseason, it was evident early that this was Minny’s night. After Ant threw down a back-scratching fast-break jam and Randle connected on a pair of fadeaway jumpers in the early goings, the Wolves never looked back.

What was more surprising was the way Minnesota slowed the Thunder down, as OKC scored just 41 PTS in the first half and turned the ball over 15 times. After Ant’s best game of the series, coach Chris Finch said his stellar play takes Minnesota “to another level.” But to even the series in Game 4 tonight, a repeat of the Wolves’ defensive effort may be even more important.

Towns’ 20-point fourth quarter helps Knicks erase 20-point deficit to take Game 3 over Pacers 106-100

If you have a big lead against either of the teams playing in this series, don’t get too attached to it.

Last night, in just another chapter in the wild book of this postseason, the Knicks staged a 20-point comeback to bring their ECF tilt with the Pacers to 2-1. New York used three double-digit comebacks to knock out the defending champion Celtics last round before falling victim to a historic run by Indiana in Game 1. Now, the Knicks are back in the saddle, riding a monster 20-point fourth quarter from Karl-Anthony Towns (24 PTS, 15 REB) to an unlikely season-saving win.

Trailing by 20 in the first half and by 10 at the end of the third quarter, the Knicks leaned heavily on their most recent star acquisition in the clutch. Indiana had no answer for the big KAT, who overcame a slow start to pull his squad from the brink of a 3-0 deficit to within one game of tying the series. With 5:10 to play, Towns hit arguably his biggest shot of the night: a 30-foot stepback trey-ball to put New York up four, a lead they would not relinquish.

Jalen Brunson was in foul trouble the whole night but added 23 PTS for the Knicks, while OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges combined for 31. On Indiana’s side, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, and Pascal Siakam each scored 17+, but the team struggled as a whole, shooting just 20% from beyond the arc. Stay tuned for Game 4 on Tuesday… 🍿

Award Watch

As the final domino of the league’s end-of-season awards, the NBA released the 2024-25 All-NBA teams on Saturday! Let’s break down the teams, as well as a few takeaways from the selections:

🥇 First Team

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC): 32.7 PPG, 6.4 APG, 7.9 FT per game

• Nikola Jokic (DEN): 29.6 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 10.2 APG

• Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL): 30.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 60.1 FG%

• Jayson Tatum (BOS): 26.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 6.0 APG

• Donovan Mitchell (CLE): 24.0 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.5 RPG

🥈 Second Team

• Jalen Brunson (NYK): 26.0 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.5 RPG

• Evan Mobley (CLE): 18.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.6 BPG

• Anthony Edwards (MIN): 27.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.1 3PM per game

• Stephen Curry (GSW): 24.5 PPG, 4.4 3PM per game, 93.3% FT

• LeBron James (LAL): 24.4 PPG, 8.2 APG, 7.8 RPG

🥉 Third Team

• Tyrese Haliburton (IND): 18.6 PPG, 9.2 APG, 38.8 3P%

• Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK): 24.4 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 42.0 3P%

• Cade Cunningham (DET): 26.1 PPG, 9.1 APG, 6.1 RPG

• James Harden (LAC): 22.8 PPG, 8.7 APG, 5.8 RPG

• Jalen Williams (OKC): 21.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG

🔎 Team Takeaways

• Bag Secured: Several players earned big paydays with their selections. The most significant price hike is Cade Cunningham, who will now earn a five-year, $269 million contract extension with Detroit beginning next season. That’s a $45 million increase from his original deal, which Evan Mobley would also be in line for if he wasn’t already eligible after winning DPOY.

• All Hail the King: LeBron’s 21st All-NBA selection reset his own record for most in an NBA career, though he’s hardly competing with anyone else. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan are all tied for second place with 15. He was the first player to earn All-NBA honors at age 40, and the King just keeps on chugging.

• First-timers and returners: Cade, Mobley, and Jalen Williams all made All-NBA for the first time; on the flip side, James Harden made his first appearance since 2020, Donovan Mitchell is back for the first time since 2023, and KAT is here for the first time since 2022. We Enjoy seeing it all, new faces and familiar faces alike!

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and try something new. Whether it’s a new skill, a new friend, or just a new place to eat, you never know what could come of it! See you soon.

Walker Carnathan