early game thread for that MUST win for us, just as any game right now. we need to prove ourselvs, lets go go go go go wolves !!! and some bad news are that SHAQ aint going to play in the MIAMI@MEMPHIS game friday night...we count on memphis to lose that game for us to have the slightest chance of making it in the 8th spot, i really hope we'll win vs. denver and wade will be good enough to pull and win at memphis we need them to lose badly....
Friday is probably the most crucial day on the calendar left. We MUST find a way to win and this is the only home game we need Memphis to lose (vs. Miami). If Memphis wins and we lose -- it is all over.......... If Memphis does win, we have to win out and Memphis cannot win another road game (and who knows what Houston and San Antonio will play like at this point).
That is the frusterating thing about Memphis....they play these great teams who have already gotten playoff bids. Like Miami who knows where they will be seeded won't care as much. Dallas is resting Dirk, Timmy is on the shelf, and you never know which Rockets team will show. That's why their schedule doesn't look as tough as it looks.
you both are right. man, it's going to be so frustrating if they won't make it after such an affort down the stretch! but at least they aren't giving up and mailed this season to the lottery to give them picks,they are fighting with all they've got and i'm proud of it.i don't want to talk about the past really cause it's such a BIG blowout,but if we won't lose more than 1 game till the end i will take proud of the team to fight tough i will be mad as well that it didn't happen sooner... shortways,good luck to us!
DN @ Minny just thought i'd put my biased preview here <div align="center"> @ <font color="royalblue">Denver Nuggets (43-31)</font> @ <font color="navy">Minnesota Timberwolves (40-35)</font> Time: Fri, Apr. 8, 2005, 09:30 P.M. Eastern Time TV: <font color="red">ESPN</font> Place: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN --- Ballers: <font color="royalblue">Marcus Camby</font> ( C), <font color="royalblue">Kenyon Martin</font> (PF), <font color="royalblue">Carmelo Anthony</font> (SF), <font color="royalblue">DerMarr Johnson</font> (SG), <font color="royalblue">Andre Miller</font> (PG) Top bench baller: <font color="royalblue">Earl Boykins</font> Coach: <font color="royalblue">George Karl</font> (26-6, first season with Nuggets) --- Ballers: <font color="navy">Michael Olowokandi</font> ( C), <font color="navy">Kevin Garnett</font> (PF), <font color="navy">Latrell Sprewell</font> (SF), <font color="navy">Trenton Hassell</font> (SG), <font color="navy">Troy Hudson</font> (PG) Top bench baller: <font color="navy">Wally Szczerbiak</font> Coach: <font color="navy">Kevin McHale</font> (15-9 as interim coach) <font size="5"><font color="blue">Top</font> <font color="gold">Ballers</font>:</font> <font color="royalblue">DerMarr Johnson: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists.</font> <font color="navy">Latrell Sprewell: 32 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists.</font> <font size="5">purpleb0n9's <font color="RoyalBlue">Team</font> <font color="Gold">Analysis</font>:</font> This game is going to be a classic matchup. Both teams have started disliking each other since last year's playoffs first round series. Trash talks and physical plays are out of question, with a fight (Nene-Olowokandi) being the egg on the top of an otherwise great basketball from two great teams. This game will even be more intense than ever as Minnesota is fighting for a playoff spot while Denver looks to winning as many games as possible and moving up in the standings as many slots as possible on the dawn of this 2004-05 regular season. <font color="royalblue">-D</font><font color="gold">N:</font> The Nuggets are concluding their current 4 game road trip, so it would be great for them to finish it at 4-0 with a win here. The key is to match the Wolves' intensity, match a physical play with a physical play, be aggressive and a little crazy on both ends, and play their own basic team defense. They seem to have slipped a little in the fourth quarter of the Hornets game. I think the Nuggets players were just trying to be loose a little bit after leading by a comfortable margin, which is fine, but if not addressed, could lead to the very cause of their early season exit. They had their fun and it's time to have that focus again. <font color="navy">- Minnesota:</font> The Wolves need to win this game to lock up the season series to their edge, but they basically need to win every remaining game for some hope of overtaking the 8th place Grizzlies for the west's final playoff spot. The key for them is to play their physical style, and go hard for 48 minutes on both ends. Sounds simple, but not really if you have to play at the Nuggets' non-stop, running pace. They need Sprewell to make some big contribution on the offensive end, and big plays from either Wally, Sam, or Eddie off the bench will be, well... big for them. <font size="5">purpleb0n9's <font color="RoyalBlue">Predict</font><font color="Gold">ion</font>:</font> I can see the Nuggets down by 5-7 points in the fourth quarter, but it's about how they respond to that. But I think they'll have a late run and take the game, 98-86.</div>
Nice preview. It's different from all the orginal stuff, nice work. This is a must win. I know there will be tempers flaring. We are pretty much becoming bitter enemies. Every game there are more than three technicals, and you can always expect shoving. I just hope Olowakandi and Nene don't get into such a wimpy fight again. Last time they scuffled it was pathetic. I expect a win from the surging Timberwolves. I think Garnett will simply win it for us. He won't let our season go down the pipes. I also see Cassell producing huge for us. He is most likely still pumped from his fight with Martin earlier this year.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Pure:</div><div class="quote_post">Nice preview. It's different from all the orginal stuff, nice work. This is a must win. I know there will be tempers flaring. We are pretty much becoming bitter enemies. Every game there are more than three technicals, and you can always expect shoving. I just hope Olowakandi and Nene don't get into such a wimpy fight again. Last time they scuffled it was pathetic. I expect a win from the surging Timberwolves. I think Garnett will simply win it for us. He won't let our season go down the pipes. I also see Cassell producing huge for us. He is most likely still pumped from his fight with Martin earlier this year.</div> take that post as if it came out of my hands too
This game is for all the marbles. The TWolves MUST win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive. Both of these teams are on a roll, and there will be a playoff atmosphere in the match-up. Denver good get some sweet revenge by taking out the team that beat them in the playoffs last year. Last year the Nuggets had no answer for KG, but they brought in K-Mart to match up with him. The TWolves should get plenty of open looks with all the attention KG is going to get. They need to hit those shots, and Kandi-Man needs to play with the same confidence and energy he played with against the Jazz. If the TWolves win tonight, they have a cake walk game against the Hawks, a semi-tough game against the surging Warriors, and then another cake walk game against the injury riddled Jazz. Memphis on the other hand has to play Miami, then Charlotte, and then they face a tough road stretch against Dallas, Houston, and Denver. The TWolves have to catch them during the next 5 games and it has to start by winning tonight.
One thing that is a major factor for the Wolves which normally wouldnt be is the fact that the game is in the target center, against the Nuggets more then probably just about any other team playing at home compare to on the road at the Pepsi center, will have a major change in factor. If the game was at the Pepsi Center I would have alot of worries, fact of the matter is that the Wolves being an older team has trouble running with Denver in the Pepsi Center. Cassell, Spree have had some of their worst games as Wolves playing in the Pepsi center. So the fact that the game is in the target Center is a major plus for the Wolves, more then normal in my opinion. Now on to what it will take for the Wolves to win, containing Earl Boykins. Boykins more then any other Nugget is a Timberwolves' killer, fact is the Wolves guards are way to slow to keep Boykins in front of them. So the best way for the Wolves to counter what Boykins is going to do on offense is take advantage of him on the other end of the court. When Cassell is in the game let him work in the post against Boykins. Making Boykins work on defense is the only way the Wolves can hope to slow him down or counter what he will give the Nuggets. Also this will be another one of those games where Trenton has to come up with one of his prime time shut down defensive performances. Carmelo cant get huge #, if the Wolves want to get a W in this one. But Iam confident that Hassell can do just such, he seems to have Carmelo's number in my opinion. Kandiman & Eddie Griffen have to give KG some help, the Nuggets have a tendency to be extremely phsyical with Kevin, usually sending both of their frontline big bodies to double & trap KG when he is on the post. That means thazt the big playing alongside KG whether it be E-Griff or Kandi will have good looks at the basket. And chances for easy put backs. They have to make those opportunities count early in my opinion. It is crucial inorder to open and loosen things up for KG thru out the game. Other then that they need strong performances from their bench core Cassell, Wally, Fred etc. making the Nuggets have to take the ball out repeatedly after T-Wolves baskets will be crucial slowing down the Nuggets running attack. That means Sammy, Wally and the rest of the Scores gotr to do their jobs of making Denver work on D.
As everybody has already stated, this is a must win game as is every game left on the schedule. This might be the most important game for Wolves this season. If they win, it would prove that they are worthy of a playoff spot and show us really how well they can play because the Nuggets have simply been on fire since Karl became coach. The Nuggets and the Timberwolves have started a rivalry since last year's playoff, which would add more incentive to this game. The every player on the team has to play their best in this game and the team has to play with energy on both ends of the floor. They can't afford another loss.
dman! look what missing SHAQ does to miami they are dow by 18 in the 1st quarter! that's bad for us! gasol is back and memphis gets stronger
Yeah Memphis is handling Miami easily. The lead is up to 26 points. Just far too, many mismatches in Memphis favor. This game becomes even more urgent for Minny to win.
Minnesota has been doing fairly well so far. Sam Cassell loks like he is finally back into his rhythm. Wolves are shooting 33% from the field and Denver is shootin 46% from the field.
half time. denver leads 54-51,bad new are that memphis won VS. miami,in my opinion us losing any game from now on closes the door in our face to get into the playyofs sorry to say our odds arent good any way when we see gasol back in the grizz lineup.... as for this game,denver are runing fastbreaks with no stop and that's bad for us if they keep that late in the game, especially while carmlo is having a great first hald and probabley will have the seconed one two and hassel is just fouling and not stoping him...i wish KG to get very very involved in the seconed half he gets fould almost every time and gets to the line more and that's slows denver's fastbreaks, and if it works,that's what we should do... DO NOT FIRE UP THE 3!!! GO TO THE PAINT AND WORK HARD AT IT! GOOD LUCK TO US!
what an ugly 3rd quarter it really doesn't show we even deserve to get in the playoffs with that kind of game...cassell and wally kept us only down by 8. 81-73....it really doesn't look good for us tell yall the truth, KG is strugglin,i don't know, hope is not enough any more it really doesn't look like we stand a chance,sory
Shooting 35% is not going to get it done against Denver. The entire TWolves frontcourt is struggling. KG 4 for 12 Kandi 1 for 5 Griffin 1 for 3 The TWolves have to play a flawless 4th quarter to pull off a win.
