Timberwolves 116, Bucks 97: Basketball is Back, Baby!

Folks, you know the movie The Polar Express? The silver bells are ringing, and even though I doubted the summer would ever end, I can hear the sleigh arriving.

The good news? Basketball is back. The bad news? Tonight can barely be considered basketball. Both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks were, at best, rusty. The teams shot a combined 70/178 from the field and 25/82 from deep. That’s 39% and 30%, respectively.

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Still, there was so much to keep track of in the first game of the season.

While it may not be a game that will matter or even count toward stats, but it does count towards vibes. The team is back, the season is on, and there are so many clips worth staring at. Before we get to that, before we get to the numbers and box scores, let’s take a deep breath and really embrace this moment.

From now until the start of summer, we will have basketball. As bad as the days get, as hard as work or school or life may be, there will be time to watch a game.

Personally, I will be spending this season trying to get my partner to enjoy an introduction to the MWNBA, and I will be sharing some of those stories here.

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This is a season of new beginnings, but also one of fresh air. Welcome to the ride, welcome to opportunity and optimism.

Welcome to the 2026-27 season.

The LaMelo Ball Show gets going

Fans have been champing at the bit to see what LaMelo could do ever since the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Naz Reid and a first-round pick (along with a handful of fake assets) to bring in the enigmatic point guard. They got their taste of it today.

Take a look at this pass. When was the last time the Wolves had someone do this?

Well, if tonight was any indication, the ball will be moving with this Minnesota squad. It wasn’t just drive and kicks, which was what we were told was the focus of head coach Chris Finch’s offense; it was toss aheads and returns, loops and loops of running around each other.

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The main bit of film study that was highlighted in the trade was the guard to guard pick and rolls that Ball used to run with Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel. That popped off the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/timberwolves-116-bucks-97-basketball-045834232.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-06 04:58:00

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