Nights don't get much better for Minnesota sports fans. Back-to-back elimination game wins in two different sports. And it happened in each of the Twin Cities.
Let us begin with the basics...
The Wild broke open a close game with a late barrage of goals to beat Dallas 5-2, taking their Stanley Cup playoff series four games to two.
After that was over, the Timberwolves laced 'em up, and despite key injuries, took out Denver 110-98 to wrap up their NBA series in six games.
It's the first time ever that the Wild and Wolves have advanced in the same postseason.
Now, a few more details...
In St. Paul:
Mid-season acquisition and Olympic gold medalist Quinn Hughes scored twice to lead the Wild to their first playoff series victory in 11 years, beating the Dallas Stars 5-2 at Grand Casino Arena.
Minnesota will face Presidents’ Trophy winner Colorado in the second round. The Avalanche have not played since sweeping Los Angeles on Sunday.
The Wild won a playoff series for the first time in 10 tries since 2015. They lost to Dallas in the first round in 2016 and 2023.
“I see our fans when we scored our fourth goal, I looked back through the glass and I see someone crying in the stands,” said Jesper Wallstedt, who made 22 saves. “I realize how big this is for our fan base. Not just us but there’s so many more people who are with us on this road and this journey. The excitement and joy to get past the first round is huge.”
After Hughes broke a tie midway through the third period, Matt Boldy scored his team-leading fifth and sixth goals of the series into empty nets to seal it. Vladimir Tarasenko also scored.
In Minneapolis:
Jaden McDaniels had 32 points and 10 rebounds and Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 24 points in a surprise start for the injury-ravaged Timberwolves in a 110-98 victory over the Denver Nuggets at Target Center on Thursday night that finished off another tense NBA playoff series between the rivals.
With Ayo Dosunmu joining Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo on the inactive list, the Timberwolves went big with Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid fueling a 64-40 advantage in points in the paint and an 50-33 edge in rebounding.
“This is what you don’t really teach. This is about will. It’s about heart, and that’s how we were able to overcome this great challenge,” said Gobert, who had 10 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
Winning this game was going to require extra doses of defense and energy, and the Wolves brought both. The Timberwolves fed off the roaring crowd at every turn and consistently made up for their missing offense with hustle and desire.
Minnesota, the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, will start the second round at San Antonio on Monday. The second-seeded Spurs beat Portland in five games in their first-round series.
And by the way...
The Twins beat the Blue Jays 7-1, and the Saints downed Iowa 3-1. And, yes, both Minnesota teams were playing at home... the Twins across the plaza from Target Center at Target Field, and the Saints on the other side of downtown St. Paul from CGA at CHS Field.
Playoff schedules:
Timberwolves-Spurs
Game 1: Monday, May 4 in San Antonio
Game 2: Wednesday, May 6 in San Antonio
Game 3: Friday, May 8 in Minneapolis
Game 4: Sunday, May 10 in Minneapolis
Game 5: Tuesday, May 12 in San Antonio*
Game 6: Friday, May 15 in Minneapolis*
Game 7: Sunday, May 17 in San Antonio*
*= if necessary
Wild-Avs playoff schedule not available.
Wild dim Stars, Wolves knock out Nuggets
Wild dim Stars, Wolves knock out Nuggets
