Wolves Look Impressive on the Road

First of all, I have to start of with the record setting game that Kevin Love put up. Love posted 20 points and 14 rebounds to extend his consecutive double-double streak to 38 games in a row, moving him past Kevin Garnett and John Stockton at 37. Love is now only 6 games of the all time record for consecutive double doubles which is held by Moses Malone at 44. Besides setting records, maybe what is more important is the fact that the wolves have been playing better basketball, and have won 2 in a row on the road. This is the first time they did this all year. They have won their last two games without some of their main scorers. Ridnour, Webster, Milicic, and Beasley were all out last night in Houston. This meant the Wolves needed to pull together more than ever and try to get a win in Houston, a team they have not played well against.

I was surprised to see the Wolves wearing their black jerseys for the second game in a row. When they were released, I thought they had set aside like 6 games to wear them in. I wouldn't be surprised if they broke out the black jerseys again since they won on the road with them the night before. Once again Jonny Flynn looked like he was more comfortable out on the court than the night before. He set the table for the Wolves last night. He started out with 6 early points, and got the team rolling. Another player who did well, but will not get credit is Nikola, he played a solid game, in his first start of the season. The game was fairly close throughout, and about mid way through the 4th quarter Timberwolves fans everywhere were thinking here we go again, because the Rockets were going on a little run and the Wolves were down by 6, after giving up their 4 point lead. The Wolves did something they have not done a whole lot this year and that is get stops down the stretch. The Wolves had some players step up like Wayne Ellington who had 18 off the bench, seemed to be unstoppable down the stretch. He hit a huge step back three with about 2 minutes left in the game. The Rockets came down and hit two free throws, and then the very next possession, Flynn hit Love for a clutch three pointer, to push the lead to 6 with under a minute to go. The Wolves pulled together as a team and got the win, while playing without 4 of their top 5 scorers.

I have to give props to these players who have been playing well. Telfair seems to be shooting the ball with a great deal of confidence. He is playing with energy and really falling into his roll as change of pace back up point guard. Flynn has been improving game by game, lat night posting 15 points and 7 assists. He still is turning the ball over more than he should be. Ellington played out of his mind last night, and has been shooting the ball well all year round. Love is a given who is playing at an All-Star level.

TRADE
The Wolves have come up in the recent Melo trade rumors, as of right now they would ship Brewer and first round pick to Nuggets, and receive Randolph and Curry form the Knicks. The Wolves clearly want Randolph, but this is a terrible deal for a team that is the facilitator of this trade. The Wolves should not give up their starting shooting guard and a first round pick, for two players that don't see the court in New York. If this deal goes down, I would imagine that the pot would get sweeter for the Timberwolves. Another trade I think the Wolves could make is trading one of their 3 point guards. All  three are playing well right now and should have some value around the league.

Game Highlights

T'Wolves Win Big

The Timberwolves played maybe, the best basketball they have played all season long. They have been showing there potential all year long, but tonight it seemed that everyone was playing up to there ability. The basket looked like it was the size of a hula hoop the way the Wolves were shooting. I know it was against the raptors who have lost now, 11 straight games but a win is a win. I think any Timberwolves can appreciate a win when we get one. The Wolves record is now 11-36, I predicted they would win 30 games this year. I still hold strong to my prediction, and think the Wolves will be able to rattle of 19 wins in the second have of the season.  The most exciting thing for me has been the play of Jonny Flynn over the past week. He has been looking more and more like the Jonny Flynn of last year. He has the ability to draw attention to himself and then he kicks it to the open guy. Nothing against Ridnour, but he just doesn't have that to his game. Flynn ended up with 10 points 8 assists and 6 rebounds last night, with a team high +28 efficiency rating. Wes Johnson has also been playing with more aggression over the past week and he has been shooting the ball with confidence.

There were a few big plays in the game but no play was more exciting than Martell Webster's dunk in the fourth quarter. He took off from the middle of the free throw line and threw it down with authority on traffic. It was a crazy good dunk. Webster has also been shooting the ball a little better over the past week. The Wolves need him to be able to score the ball and carry the second unit. Webster needs to just shoot the ball when he is open rather than drive and drive to the basket every time he touches the ball. The only player for the wolves who really didn't play well was Beasley. He only had 7 points on 2 of 12 shooting.Other than that it seems like the Wolves players are all starting to play up to there potential and play together.

Love postgame
Top 5 plays of the week

Overtime Thriller - Wolves Come Up Short

The Timberwolves have been on the wrong side of more games than they should be. The Wolves have the talent on the team, and continue to show week in and week out that they can play with any team in the league. They have some good pieces to work around and now they just need to get everyone else to play at their highest level. It seems that when one player starts to play good, Brewer, others start to fade, like Johnson and Webster.  The wolves need to get better production from their bench. Flynn has looked a little better over the past week, but he can't seem to get back to the form he was in last year. He needs to get a few more minutes to get into a rhythm.

As for the overtime thriller, Durant was worth the price of admission. The guy just didn't miss a shot. He was able to hit the big shot time after time when it counted, and ended up with 47 points. Beasley looked good throughout the game, but seemed to fade and loose his handle on the ball as the fourth quarter went on. Love played a typical Kevin Love game, but an extraordinary game for most NBA players. He ended the game with 31 points and 21 rebounds. The fourth quarter was an very exciting for Timberwolves fans. It was back and forth and the Wolves were right in the game up until the end. The Wolves seemed to shoot themselves in the foot every time they needed a big play, by turning the ball over.  The Wolves were down by 1 with 14 seconds left and ended up missing the shot and getting the rebound with 7 seconds left. I don't know if he thought the clock was lower, he just tried to draw the foul, or just got caught up in the air and had too shoot. At any rate it was the fatal blow to the Wolves. The could have set up for something with them seven seconds and got a good look. It was a disappointing loss for the Wolves.

Wolves Woes

The Timberwolves have shown throughout this season that they have the ability to play with any team in the NBA, with the exception of a few blowout losses. The wolves recently been on a little winning streak winning 3 of their last 4 games, but since then they have lost their last 5. We all know about the Timberwolves 4th quarter struggles so i am not going to hit on that topic. The Wolves almost pulled out the win in San Antonio, a team they have been close to beating twice already this year, without their star scorer Michael Beasley. Beasley left the game after re-tweaking his ankle. He did not return. The Wolves had kept the game within winning distance and ended up losing by three to one of the best teams in the entire NBA. The Wolves had two three point attempts that were in and out in the final minutes of the game and lost by three.

Kevin Love continues to put up all star numbers averaging 21.5 points and 15.7 boards a game. If you can remember back to KG, that is the exact type of numbers he used to put up. Although they have a completely different method of getting their numbers, they both are efficient.

The Timberwolves have and will continue to be mentioned with the word trade up until the trade deadline. The trade talks involving the Wolves and OJ Mayo are no more. The Wolves interest stopped before his altercation on the plane. Their have been numerous reports that the wolves have had many teams interested in Jonny Flynn. I think Flynn will be a good player in this league if he is given the time. I think he has the scoring ability to play the game like Chauncey Billups. That is who reminds me of right now, how Billups used to look on the Timberwolves before we let him go. The trade rumor that has the best chance of being completed is for Anthony Randolph of the New York Knicks. The Timberwolves have coveted the young athletic PF since last summer. He has been lost on the bench in New York, and recent reports have the wolves offering Telfair.The Knicks have been said to want Ridnour in return. Corey Brewers name has also been brought up in trade rumors, He is a free agent after this year and if the Wolves want to get anything in return for him they will trade him. They extended everyone options early this year except Brewers. With Brewer getting the start last night many people have been saying it was to increase his trade value. Rambis said he wanted to reward Brewer for his outstanding defensive effort over the past week.

In Farve's Farewell the Vikes Dont Fair Well

The Vikings Season has been one for the record books and not in the way most Vikings fans would have hoped for. Six months ago when the Vikings started their camp in Mankato, many experts, including myself, were picking them to represent the NFC in the Superbowl. With the highly anticipated opener on Thursday night against the hated Saints, the Vikings were looking to start strong and finish the year hoisting a trophy and caring Favre off the field on their shoulders. Instead Favre last game he was inactive and ended up running off the field before any reporters could get to him. Seeing Favre run off the field after the Lions defeated the Vikings 20 - 13 was not the way that I remember hoping the year would end. The Soap Opera star of the year for the Vikings drama filled season was non other other than Mr. Favre himself. Starting the year off with the will he or won't he routine and ending the year with the same except in a different contexts. The Iron Man was hit more than any other quarterback in the league and for the first time in his career, his age started to show. He was not able to play in three of the last four games and only played a few series in the classic Monday night game at TCF Bank. Favre has left Vikings fans with many great memories, and i want to wish him one final farewell. Take a look at Favre's Legacy courtesy of NFL Network

In the absence of Favre, the Vikings were able to look at the quarterbacks they already had on their roster. Jackson looked average at best in his two games before being put on IR with turf toe. Webb was looking to get his second straight win in as many starts. Things did not go as planned. Webb did an average job today. He missed Booker for a wide open touchdown, and made a poor throw across his body for an interception when he could have easily ran for the first down. His QB rating was only 60.4, but he did have a descent completion percentage of 62.5%. You can tell by watching he is a young raw quarterback that has a lot of skills but maybe needs to have a little more time to mature from a football stand point. The game did not have many highlights for the Vikings, Percy was able to make a few plays that made you say, how did he do that, and Allen returned an interception for a touchdown. That was the Vikings first pick 6 of the year. With three of the Vikings top four cornerbacks out Frank Walker was called on to step up and start. The Lions were able to pick our secondary apart. Peterson had an off game, he had 14 rushes for 31 yards and no touchdowns. That is not a typical Adrian Peterson type game. Percy ended with 8 catches for 72 yards and is a boost of energy every time he touches the ball. The Vikings need to find a way to get his migraines taken care of so he can be out on the field every week.

What do Vikings fans have to look forward to. 


Their is always next season, but this will be a crucial offseason with the stadium issue, and the mass of big free agents like Greenway and Rice, the Vikings have some important decisions to make. The Vikes have to either name Frazier as the head coach going forward or find a new one. The Vikings also, with the loss to the Lions, have locked themselves in to a top ten pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. I would not mind seeing Cam Newton in a Vikings uniform next year. We can still hope for a Packers loss today, I know that would make me happy. 

Videos
Favre Final Press conference 
Lions/Vikings Highlights

Wolves Can't Finish

The Timberwolves have been a different team this year.The team is much more exciting to watch, and the fans of Minnesota think so too. Over the past few weeks Target Center has been looking like it did 7 years ago, the lower level is full and the upper level is 3/4 full. It is great for the Timberwolves who are exciting to watch and seem to have the talent to win, or be in every game. The only problem facing this team is that they seem to fold every time midway through the fourth quarter. The Wolves look to be getting a little better at the problem after winning 2 of their last three games, but the fourth quarter fold happened again last night against the Nuggets. The Wolves were winning throughout most of the game, and they were only down by 2 with 2 minutes to go in the game, but the Wolves were unable to get a stop. This young Wolves squad seems to be able to score almost at will, but last night it was Billups who was scoring at will when it counted most. The Wolves would always make a big three or play to take the lead or tie, and the next possession Billups would follow with a three of his own to take the momentum back. I am hoping these fourth quarter woes are a results from the inexperience of the team. Once the wolves can figure out how to properly close out a game they will be dangerous. I like the young core of guys this team has. Beasley and Love have stepped up and are sharing the role of Alpha Wolf. Wes Johnson seems to be getting more comfortable out on the floor, and Webster has shown he came help this team in the scoring and defensive departments.

The wolves seem to be on the right track, and i think the more this team plays together the better they will be. Remember this is the first time many of these young guys have ever played with each other. I have been extremely impressed with the emergence of Love. He has an outstanding motor on him, he will not be denied if he wants a rebound. Although he is a bit undersized he is still able to get his shot off and showed it again last night with a 26 point 14 rebound performance. You can almost chalk up Beasley getting 20+ points a game, and he has improved his team play of late getting 6 assists and 4 assists in his last 2 games. Ridnour has been playing well of late, but still seems to have some bad turnovers.

One disappointment the wolves star rookie of last year has not had the comeback most fans have hoped for. since his return he is only averaging 17 minutes a game. Last night against the Nuggets he only had 11 minutes. Being a big Jonny Flynn fan i am hoping he can get more time and look like the player he looked like last year.

Rumor Mill- there has been some rumors going around that the wolves are interested in trading for OJ Mayo, a player who seems to be under performing for the Grizzlies only averaging 13 points and 1.8 assists per game. The Wolves have came out and shot this rumor down. Flynn's name has and will continue to come up in trade rumors because the Wolves figure to have Rubio coming over next year and many teams have shown interest in Flynn. The Wolves covet Flynn and i dont expect them to trade him for nothing.

 Rambis postgame press conference

Webb Takes Flight on Tuesday Night

Joe Webb looked like the better of the two quarterbacks on the field, and one of the quarterbacks was MVP candidate Michael Vick. Webb looked solid  from start to finish and was able to lead the Vikings to a big win. Webb was able to lead the Vikings offense with his passing and with the use of his legs. Webb who ran a 4.4 in the forty yard dash coming out of college, Vick also ran a 4.4, had 6 rushes for 31 yards and one touchdown. This game was not all about Joe Webb though, the defense was able to keep constant pressure on Vick. The where able to force him to turn the ball over on three different occasions, 1 int and 2 fumbles. The Vikings also had two plays that should have been clear cut interceptions. The Vikings did a great job keeping Vick flustered and hitting him as often as he could. Winfield was able to come off the edge on a corner blitz and sack Vick on the second play of the game. After that hit Vick had a noticeable limp. He was
never the same for the rest of the game, he injured the leg that he has to plant and push off of every throw.
The game took a turn for the Vikings right before halftime. Winfield was able to come off the edge again on a corner blitz and sack Vick causing a fumble. He was able to pick the fumble up and ran it in for a touchdown. This was a much needed play for the Vikings. This gave the Vikings the momentum and the game was dominated by the Vikings ever since. The Second half started with a big 46 yard play down the field to Harvin. Harvin was able to make some key catches throughout the game and helped Webb to his first win as a starting NFL quarterback. The rest of the second half was all Vikings they were able to move the ball up and down the field with the help of Adrian Peterson running the ball for over 100 yards. Webb was the story of the night, and no pass was bigger than the 3rd and 11 pass to Harvin with 3 minutes left. With this pass The Vikings were able to keep possession and not give Vick and there potent offense a chance to come back. Webb will give the Vikings something to think about going into next season looking for there next quarterback. If he can play like this and keep improving he would fit in well with the Vikings.

Highlights of the Game.

Joe Webb- was able to lead the Vikings to a win in his first NFL start. He went 17 of 26 for 195 yards. He did not throw a touchdown, although one did get overturned, but he also did not have an interception. He had 6 rushes for 31 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown also was a big play in the game and gave the Vikings the edge from that point on.

Adrian Peterson- was able to run wild. The two extra days off, gave Peterson the extra time needed to heal his ankle. Peterson ran 22 times for 118 yards and looked like his old self. He also was able to get in for a short touchdown. Peterson did have his first fumble of the year. Peterson was able to do his part and run well to keep some of the pressure of the rookie Webb.

Antoine Winfield- played extremely well, he was able to get pressure on Vick and had that big play right before half that i mentioned earlier. He ended with 8 tackles on the night, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 1 touchdown.

Percy Harvin- seemed to make a big play every time he touched the ball whether it was a first down or a big 3rd down conversion Harvin made big plays throughout the game none bigger than the 46 yard bomb right out of halftime. he ended with 7 catches for 100 yards.

Eagles- the Eagles looked terrible, they did not look like the team that we have seen over the past months.

Videos
Highlights
Webb's postgame press conference