4/29/2024 -- Wolves Sweep Suns

Timberwolves

Clean Sweep For The Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA Playoffs 🧹

The Summary: After what was deemed an unfavorable first-round match-up, the Wolves won game four to close out a clean sweep of the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Playoff Drought: This is the Wolves first playoff series win since 2004 when they were the #1 seed in the Western Conference led by Kevin Garnett. It’s also the first time the Wolves have ever swept a team in the playoffs.

The Ant Show: Anthony Edwards is becoming a superstar before our eyes. In Game 4, Ant scored 40 points with 9 rebounds and 6 assists.

Up Next: The Wolves advance to the conference semifinals and will face the winner of the Denver Nuggets/La Lakers series.

HIGHLIGHT: On his chilhood idol Kevin Durant, Ant had this highlight dunk in game 4.

Also: Head Coach Chris Finch had to leave the game late in the fourth quarter after Mike Conley ran into him on the sidelines.

Minneapolis

New Study Shows Downtown Minneapolis is Making Progress Post-Covid 📈

The Summary: A study examining the recovery of major North American cities revealed significant progress in downtown Minneapolis with a substantial increase in visitors compared to the previous year.

Key Findings: Minneapolis experienced a 45.3% surge in downtown visits from February 2024 to March 2023, the largest among the 64 cities analyzed in the study.

Among the Best: While 50 downtowns showed signs of recovery, Minneapolis was among the top cities, along with Montreal, Ottawa, Chicago, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Boston, Washington DC, and Toronto.

Notable Events: Key events in 2023 like the Taylor Swift concert and Twin Cities Pride brought a surge of people downtown.

Education

Protests at the University of Minnesota Lead To Arrests

The Summary: Students at the University of Minnesota have been staging protests on campus, urging the institution to divest from weapons manufacturers and companies associated with the Israeli military. They are also calling for an end to study abroad programs in Israel.

Protest and University Response: Nine individuals, the majority of whom are students, were arrested for criminal trespass after setting up an unauthorized encampment on campus.

University's Position: The University of Minnesota has stated that it maintains minimal direct business or investments in Israel or Palestine. Furthermore, it suspended two study abroad programs in Israel due to the ongoing conflict.

Ongoing Protests: Despite attempts by law enforcement to dismantle their encampment, protesters have persisted in their demonstrations. Both campus police and external law enforcement's actions have been criticized for their perceived heavy-handedness.

Sports

⚾ The Minnesota Twins have now won 7 straight games after sweeping the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

🏒 Minnesota’s PWHL team has lost three straight after dropping a game against Boston at home. They sit in 3rd in the standings with just two games left in the regular season.

🏈 The Minnesota Vikings wrapped up the NFL draft, adding seven new players. REad what analysts think about their draft here.

GAME: TC Insider Mini Crossword

Do you know who the US President was the last time the Wolves won an NBA playoff series? Answer that in today’s mini crossword.

Quick hits

Headlines From Around The Twin Cities ✔

❯ A former diversity worker is sueing the University of Minnesota after being fired over a swastika photo (Star Tribune)

❯ Education support professionals for the Minneapolis Public Schools have voted to authorize a strike (WCCO)

❯ A French Bulldog mix that was stolen in St. Paul has been found safe and re-united with its owner (Fox9)

❯ Minneapolis approved a $150K settlement for a witness to George Floyd’s murder (TIME)

❯ Italian Eatery in South Minneapolis announced they will be closing in early summer (Kare11)

Beyond the Twin Cities

Headlines From Greater Minnesota ✔

❯ A 911 transcript detailed the allegation of Minnesota state senator 'breaking into' stepmother's Detroit Lakes home (Kare11)

❯ Duluth Mayor Reinert spoke about housing, streets, and downtown in his first State of the City speech (MPR)

❯ Itasca Pride is planning its first event in Grand Rapids, but there is already pushback (Star Tribune)

The Final Word: Shameless Plug For A Good Cause 🏃‍♂️

Brace yourself — on May 19th I will be taking to Lake Harriet with a friend to run 50 miles with the goal of raising money and awareness for Special Olympics Minnesota. I’ve been involved with the organization for a number of years and truly believe in the power sport to bring out the best in people with disabilities.

We are inviting anyone and everyone to come run/jog/walk any distance you’d like with us throughout the day! Plus, Broders is generously donating pizza for the after party. And if you can’t be there but still want to support, we are gladly welcoming donations to get us closer to our $5,000 goal.

Also, thanks to SW Voices for the nice write-up. Alright, shameless plug over!

-Patrick