MINNESOTA SPORTS FAN DAILY: Monday, October 23, 2017

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MSF Daily: 10/23/17

Timberwolves’ Andrew Wiggins Beats Buzzer From DEEP to Shock OKC:

The Timberwolves were a different team in the first quarter of this game. Moving the ball around like they had actually met one-another before the game started, and playing defense that might actually be worthy of a team coached by Tom Thibodeau. The team shot over 50%. Teague looked like he belonged for the first time in his Timberwolves career. Wiggins was hitting shots again, putting up 10 points in the 1st quarter. It was fun to watch.

The 2nd quarter was a little more frustrating and Towns was really starting to stick out on defense. Sometimes, he isn’t anywhere near the right spot. He was having big time issues against Adams in the first half, defensively. He was also having issues keeping him off the offensive glass. Towns though, is so good on offense and on the offensive boards, you have to deal with the defense. He scored 13 points in the first half and went 0-4 from the 3-pt line…

Thought the game was close, the Wolves seemed to have control of the tempo and feel. Here are some highlights of the 1st half.

The 2nd half was a lot of the same thing. The Wolves had control and would go up 12 before OKC would make a run and bring it back to 3-4 point difference. Then, the Wolves would extend it before OKC came back again. It was like watching a yo-yo. But, the Wolves never gave up the lead, until just seconds remained.

Towns took the game over offensively…..

CONTINUE READING (GAME RECAP – WIGGINS BUZZER BEATER!!! – HIGHLIGHTS)

Vikings Hit, Run, and Kick Their Way to Victory Over Ravens:

If you don’t like scoring and you really like to watch defense that is better than offense, you enjoyed the first half of this football game. The Vikings have been shorthanded on offense almost all season but are still very respectable in most offensive stat categories. Not in the first half of this game. I was hoping to watch Jerick McKinnon and Latavius Murray run all over a terrible Baltimore rushing defense. That wasn’t the case. The Vikings finished with a whopping 53 rushing yards.

The defense, however, was on point. It helps when you’re playing Baltimore’s 2nd offense + Joe Flacco, due to injuries, but you can’t pick your opponent, as the old saying goes. The defensive line constantly had pressure on Flacco and he was showing it. Even in times where the pressure wasn’t around, he looked frazzled.

The best offensive players in the first half were the kickers, Kai Forbath and Justin Tucker. Forbath made two kicks from over 50 yards and 1 for 40+. Tucker matched when given the opportunity, hitting from both 48 and 57. Neither kicker missed. Here are the highlights via NFL Network’s Gameday coverage.

CONTINUE READING (GAME RECAP AND HIGHLIGHTS)

Gophers Basketball Crushes Creighton in Preseason Scrimmage:


It’s never too early to start talking about college basketball. Especially when your team is entering the season with its highest expectations since at-least ’09-’10, maybe even ’97-’98, even though that season doesn’t technically exist.

The Gophers enter the season ranked 15th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. That is even higher than the ranking they got in 2009-’10 when they started 18th in that same poll. But, looked at even more highly than the Coaches Poll is the Associated Press Top-25 Preseason Poll. The Gophers haven’t ranked in the top 20 of that poll since 1993-’94 season. That is expected to release on November 1-2 so watch out for that.

That’s right, this Gophers team is projected to be better than any team in the last 24 years. Even in the mythical unicorn season of non-existence that is……. or is not 1997….

CONTINUE READING (ANALYZING THE BOX SCORE – UPCOMING – TEAM EXPECTATIONS)

Star Tribune Poll: What’s your Minnesota weekend sports highlight?

As of 9:30 this morning:

MSF Daily by Eric Strack @RealMNSportsFan

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