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🏀 Good morning to everybody, however particularly to …

THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

They are saying the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The Timberwolves lastly took that step — and never a second too quickly. With their backs towards the wall, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Cities got here up enormous within the second half, and Minnesota held on regardless of some nervous moments late to win Sport 4, 105-102, and keep away from a sweep.

• Edwards scored a team-high 29 factors, together with an enormous jumper with 39.1 seconds left to increase Minnesota’s result in 5. Cities, in the meantime, scored 25 factors — 20 of which got here within the second half, and 10 of which got here within the ultimate eight minutes.
• It was a sorely wanted breakout for Cities, who shot 28% from the sector and 14% from 3 over the primary three video games. Tuesday, he made 4 3-pointers, together with three within the fourth quarter. He made three 3s throughout the primary three video games mixed.
• Nonetheless, the Timberwolves did not make issues straightforward on themselves: Cities fouled out when he bit on a Luka Doncic pump pretend from past the arc, and Edwards dedicated one other unhealthy foul — this time Doncic made the three by means of the contact — with 13 seconds left to place Minnesota in peril. However Doncic missed a free throw, and Naz Reid made a layup on a artful out of bounds play to place issues away.

In the end, Minnesota survived in clutch time, which Doncic and Kyrie Irving dominated within the first three video games. Doncic nonetheless managed a 28-point triple-double however shot simply 7 for 21. Irving scored simply 16 factors on 6-for-18 taking pictures, as Minnesota shifted star defender Jaden McDaniels onto him. Moreover, Irving’s excellent closeout sport document isn’t any extra.

Brad Botkin says Edwards did precisely what he wanted to do to maintain his season alive.

• Botkin: “He by no means took his foot off the fuel. Dallas massive man Dereck Vigorous II being out with a neck damage opened up the rim and Edwards attacked downhill from the soar. … He solely shot 11 for 25, however he hit a pair 3s and a few pull-up jumpers and, most significantly, bought himself to the foul line eight occasions within the first quarter. … That is the system for Edwards, who remains to be not a constant sufficient shooter to simply depend on that, but additionally cannot count on to get all the best way to the rim with the a number of our bodies closing off his lanes. He has to strike a troublesome stability, and he did that in Sport 4.”

👍 Honorable mentions

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏒 Panthers win Sport 4 in extra time, even sequence with Rangers

For one sport, a minimum of, the Rangers‘ extra time magic faltered, and the Panthers now have new life. Florida topped New York, 3-2, in an exciting Sport 4 extra time affair, with Sam Reinhart firing residence the sport winner simply 1:12 into the additional interval after some lovely passing on the facility play. And in South Florida, a win like that may solely imply one factor — cue the plastic rats.

• Vincent Trocheck scored the lone purpose of the primary interval, however Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe gave the hosts a 2-1 lead coming into the third.
• Alexis Lafreniere tied issues up early within the third, and clutch goalkeeping from Sergei Bobrovsky and Igor Shesterkin despatched the groups to their third straight extra time sport. It marked the primary convention ultimate to go to 3 straight extra time video games since 2001. The Rangers gained Video games 2 and three in extra time and had been 4-0 in extra time video games this postseason.
• This time, although, Blake Wheeler bought known as for hooking simply 59 seconds in, and Florida wasted no time taking benefit.

The sequence, now tied at 2, heads again to New York for Thursday evening.

🏈 NFL countdown: Shifting inside 100 days till 2024 kickoff

We’re into double digits! In the present day marks 99 days till the Chiefs and Ravens kick off the 2024 NFL season. By my math, which means yesterday marked 100 days, and you may guess we celebrated appropriately.

Cody Benjamin counted down 100 issues to know, and one in all my favorites is fairly easy: Who can problem the Chiefs and 49ers? Cody has six, together with …

• Bengals: “If the defensive entrance hits its ceiling, they could be a true contender. However Joe Burrow‘s well being is the final word key. If he is upright and dealing from the pocket, that is their bread and butter.”
• Ravens: “Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson now has Derrick Henry to bolster a thunder-and-lightning speeding assault, and the protection nonetheless has imposing difference-makers at each stage.”
• Texans: “Recent off his star debut, C.J. Stroud has much more assist with Stefon Diggs aboard, and DeMeco Ryans‘ entrance seven appears even nastier with Danielle Hunter and Azeez Al-Shaair.”

I like that Cody included the Texans on this listing. By including gamers like Diggs and Hunter, the Texans have a legit win-now roster, however they’re additionally arrange for long-term success behind guys like Stroud, Will Anderson Jr. and Nico Collins, who simply bought a three-year, $72.75 million extension. I am all-in on Houston as a significant AFC contender for years to return.

In the meantime, I seemed on the 100 most essential gamers for the 2024 season. Amongst them is …

• Pereles: “What’s even cheap to count on from Deshaun Watson? He has performed 12 video games over the previous three seasons. Since becoming a member of the Browns in 2022, Watson has roughly the identical passer score as Mac Jones and the identical completion share as Zach Wilson. He additionally had a mysterious shoulder challenge for a lot of final yr. Is that mounted? Is his sport mounted?”

This is extra NFL information:

⚾ MLB to combine Negro League stats into document books

It is lengthy overdue, and it is rewriting the document books, actually as we converse. Main League Baseball is formally incorporating Negro League statistics and data into the MLB’s historic data right now. The transfer comes greater than three years after MLB gave the Negro Leagues “main league” standing.

The truth that roughly 3,400 gamers’ numbers had been merely pushed apart and forgotten about was ridiculous, and now, these gamers can take their rightful spots among the many all-time greats, too. As such, Josh Gibson is now the all-time profession chief in …

• Batting common (.372, beating out Ty Cobb‘s .366)
• Slugging share (.718, beating out Babe Ruth‘s .690)
• OPS (1.177, beating out Ruth’s 1.164)

Gibson, who was inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 1972, additionally now holds a number of single-season data, together with for these three classes. Different new additions close to the highest of these lists embody Charlie Smith and Mule Suttles.

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

🏀 Suns at Liberty, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports activities Community
🏀 Aces at Lynx, 8 p.m. on NBA TV
🏒 Sport 4: Stars at Oilers, 8:30 p.m. on TNT