How many times can a team that is as seasoned as Minnesota, with back-to-back deep playoff runs to the conference, shoot themselves in the foot against a disciplined, championship-pedigree team like the Denver Nuggets?

Minnesota played below its elite defensive standards all year. The NBA’s top unit on that end of the floor a year ago, the Wolves were just eighth-best defensively during the regular season. Yet, Naz Reid had one reason for optimism regarding a postseason defensive turnaround “I think the head of the snake — we’ve got Jaden and Rudy,

The Wolves and Denver have met in the postseason in recent years, with the Nuggets winning 4-1 in the 1st round of the 2023 playoffs and the Wolves winning 4-3 in the 2nd round of the 2024 playoffs. Like this year, Denver had homecourt advantage in those two matchups.

Jaden McDaniels took a personal shot at Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets after the Timberwolves’ Game 2 win on Monday night.

The Wolves were in control much of the first half before a familiar third-quarter collapse into selfish, immature hoops.

One thing better than a devastating two-man game is a lethal two-quarter performance. The Nuggets fueled easy Minnesota points in the first 12 minutes courtesy of turnovers. The fourth quarter wound up essentially even. But the second and third were when the game cracked open.

Wolves have won three of 22 Premier League games under Rob Edwards (right) The front doors at Compton broke one Friday afternoon. For a few minutes a number of people at Wolves' training ground were locked out before the problem was fixed.

It’s been coming for a while. Now it’s official. Wolverhampton Wanderers are relegated from the Premier League, their fate sealed not by their own result, but by West Ham’s goalless draw with Crystal Palace.