MINNEAPOLIS — Eighty-one games boil down to the finale for the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Win and in.
Months of play have led to Wednesday’s final regular-season game between the two teams in Minnesota. Wednesday’s winner will go to the playoffs. The loser
will start its offseason. There are different seeding possibilities for the
winner in the packed Western Conference standings but a win is the only thing
that matters for now.
“I just want to clinch it
Will Fuller V Jersey ,” Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said after Monday’s victory against Memphis. “Tonight, Wednesday, whenever it is. Just get
it done. We talked about finishing. That’s been our thing. Just finish. And
whatever way we have to get there, let’s get there.”
Thibodeau was talking to reporters before Denver had finished its game on Monday night to set up Wednesday’s showdown. The Nuggets came from behind to
beat Portland 88-82.
“Our guys stepped up and understood the urgency of the situation,” Denver coach Mike Malone told the team’s website.
Two weeks ago, the season coming down to the final game was unlikely. Minnesota was playing without All-Star Jimmy Butler and fading down the stretch.
When the Wolves lost 100-96 at Denver on April 5, it was their final game
without Butler and ended a 6-9 stretch.
Minnesota has won the past two games with Butler back in the lineup after knee surgery.
Monday’s win against Portland was the Nuggets’ sixth in a row.
“We’ve got to go to Minnesota
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It will be a different matchup than even six days earlier. Butler didn’t play in that game. Still on a minutes restriction, Butler played 22:58 in Monday’s
win and had 15 points, three steals and three assists.
However, forward Taj Gibson left Monday’s game early with a sore neck and is questionable for Wednesday.
“We’ll see,” Thibodeau told the Minneapolis Star Tribune about Gibson’s availability. “Based on what he did today, we’ll see how he feel tomorrow. If
he’s not (in)
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Gibson, like Butler, has been a backbone-type player in his first season with the ‘Wolves.
“I hope so,” guard Jamal Crawford told the Star Tribune about Gibson playing. “To be honest, Taj is the heart and soul of our team. Everybody talks about
everybody else for good reason, but he’s the guy who’s the rock of our team.
Knowing Taj, I would put my money that he plays
Kasen Williams Jersey , I hope.”
The Nuggets got back guard Gary Harris on Monday after he missed 11 games with a knee injury. He had 12 points and two steals in 18 minutes off the
bench.
“He didn’t play like a player that missed 25 days,” Malone told the team’s website.
While Minnesota is sitting on a 13-season playoff drought, Gibson knows the intensity that will come Wednesday after having experienced a win-and-in
regular-season finale in 2010 with the Bulls. Teammate Derrick Rose also was on
that Chicago team.
“We’ve been through this before,” Gibson told the Star Tribune. “It all comes down to knowing your opponent and wanting it even more. Understanding the last
game with Denver didn’t sit right with us.”
Butler has pushed his team all season. He has one more in the regular season.
“A win can control our own destiny,” he told the Star Tribune. “We’ve got a game on Wednesday anyway. No matter what, we’re going in there to win.”
— San Francisco newcomer Richard Sherman will miss the next week of training camp and
the 49ers‘ preseason opener after straining a hamstring in practice Friday.
“We’re definitely going to rest him at least a week,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Saturday. “We don’t think it should be long term. It’s Grade
1
Andrew Billings Jersey , it’s a little higher than we expected so we got to be careful with that.”
The former Seattle cornerback was hurt chasing down receiver Pierre Garcon after a long completion from Jimmy Garoppolo during a full-team drill. The
three-time All-Pro returned to practice at the start of training camp after
suffering a torn right Achilles in November with the Seahawks. Sherman signed a
three-year $39.15 million deal in the offseason after being cut by Seattle.
In Sherman’s place Sunday, the 49ers rotated Tyvis Powell and Greg Mabin with the starting defense. Jimmie Ward stepped in for Sherman during the offseason
program but has been withheld from full-team drills after suffering a hamstring
strain last week. Ward has participated during individual portions of the last
two practices.
San Francisco opens its preseason slate Thursday night at home against the Dallas Cowboys.
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