The Minnesota Timberwolves, minus one of their stars, will go for their third win in a row when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on short rest Friday night.
Minnesota is coming off a hard-fought, 113-111 win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday in Indianapolis. It marked the Timberwolves’ first game since losing Karl-Anthony Towns to a torn meniscus in his left knee. Towns will undergo surgery next week, and he could miss the rest of the regular season.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said everyone on his team would have to fill in while Towns is out. That was the case Thursday in a win that was punctuated by Anthony Edwards’ high-flying block against the Pacers’ Aaron Nesmith in the final seconds.
“I’ve never subscribed to the ‘try to replace like for like (theory),’ and with a guy of Karl’s caliber, certainly it’s really hard to do,” Finch said. “What I love about our team is we have a multitude of options. We can go a lot of different ways based on matchups every night. …
“I really feel confident in our depth and our ability to go different directions. Yeah, we lose some size, obviously we lose elite talent when he’s not in the lineup, but we feel like we have a lot of other things we can kind of maybe link up.”
Edwards will try to stay hot for the Timberwolves after matching his season high with 44 points on 18-for-35 shooting at Indiana. Rudy Gobert added 18 points and 14 rebounds.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are adjusting to life without big man Evan Mobley, who is sidelined indefinitely after spraining his left ankle on Tuesday. He won’t play on Friday.
Cleveland, which has alternated wins and losses in its past six games, is coming off a 112-101 road defeat against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. Jarrett Allen scored 18 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers, and Isaac Okoro chipped in 17 points.
Speaking of Mobley’s absence, Allen said, according to Cleveland.com, “It’s time for me just to step up in our position and try to help the team win. For me, it’s just trying to fill the hole where he left (off). Whether it’s dribble handoffs, finding people on the back door, just trying to do whatever he can. I know I’m not gonna get to that level of what he does, but any little bit I can do helps.”
Mobley isn’t the only injured Cleveland regular.
Donovan Mitchell, who leads the Cavaliers with an average of 28 points per game, will miss his fifth consecutive game on Friday because of a bone bruise on his left knee. Max Strus will sit out his third game in a row due to a strained right knee.
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he had no doubts in his players’ effort level. That includes guard Craig Porter Jr., a rookie out of Wichita State.
In 38 games this season, Porter is averaging 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
“He’s a good player,” Bickerstaff said. “We’re fortunate to have him. We know what we have in him. He’s a guy that’s always composed, always poised. He knows who he is, he knows what his game is, and he knows how to get to it. He never gets sped up by defenses. He can go out and just make the right play.”
This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.
New details emerge about LeBron James’ ankle issue
Watch: Warriors’ Stephen Curry limps to locker room after suffering ankle injury
Late in Thursday’s game with the Bulls, Warriors fans heard their five least favorite words: “Steph Curry rolls his ankle.” Curry turned his ankle on a cut to the basket with four minutes left and his team leading 112-109. He limped off the court and into the locker room, and the Bulls completed a comeback from 13 points down to win 125-122.
The injury came just a day after Golden State had its first clean injury report in over three months. Andrew Wiggins returned from his absence for a personal matter, while Chris Paul and Gary Payton II returned from injuries that cost them sizable time.
Given how Curry was limping, it’s likely he’ll be on the injury report when the Warriors play the Spurs in their next two games. San Antonio had its own star, Victor Wembanyama, go down with an ankle injury Wednesday night. He’s likely to miss Sunday’s Warriors game.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the team was hoping he could return for the second game of their back-to-back. Curry has regularly suffered injuries to his ankles, especially early in his career.
He had surgical procedures on his problem ankles after his second and third seasons, the latter of which cost him three to four months but dramatically improved the health of his ankles.
But ankle injuries are always threatening to sideline the Warriors’ most important player. Golden State had won 11 of its last 15 games but remained deep in the play-in group. A tough road for playoff seeding just got tougher, if the greatest shooter ever misses serious time.
Florida freshman QB turns heads with height and weight listing on team’s roster
Report: Chicago Bears may have been fleeced by Buffalo Bills for new center, 5th-round pick
A Chicago Bears insider suggested general manager Ryan Poles might have been fleeced by the Buffalo Bills in swapping a fifth-round pick for center Ryan Bates.
Ryan Bates is penciled in as the starting center And yes, the Bears traded with the Bills for Bates so that the veteran offensive lineman would play center for Chicago this season.
The Bears did not trade a fifth-round pick for Bates to be a backup offensive guard this season. Many analysts and fans suggested Bates would play guard, but that’s not happening. In his Q A mailbag this week, Brad Biggs with the Chicago Tribune answered several questions regarding the Bates trade.
Biggs emphasized several times the starting center job is Bates’ to lose. The Bears could look to add a center in the draft, but the odds aren’t great since the team only has five draft picks: “It sure looks like the plan is for the Bears to play Bates at center.
It doesn’t make sense to me to sign a guy like Brewer or Shelton because they probably wouldn’t be far off from where the Bears see Bates. I wouldn’t discount the possibility of the Bears looking for a center in the draft they can develop but they are a little short on picks right now with only five.
Yes, that number could easily grow with a trade here or there but the sweet spot for landing a center with starting traits is Round 2.
The Bears have liked Bates for some time… the Bears have to hope he’s a significant upgrade over what they got from Lucas Patrick, who earned $8 million over the previous two years.” Did the Chicago Bears get fleeced?
While Biggs thought adding Bates made sense for the Bears this offseason, primarily to address their glaring need at center, he’s not sure if the Bills fleeced Poles: “There is a question I am curious about. If the Bears had not traded for Bates, would the salary-cap-strapped Bills have wound up releasing him? In other words, could the Bears have kept the fifth-rounder and then signed Bates to a contract?”
The Bills were set to part ways with Bates this offseason The Bills needed to cut Bates this offseason if they could not find a trade partner. Per Over The Cap, the Bills are $42 million in the red with a week to go before free agency. Poles could have negotiated with Bates’ agent to sign with Chicago this offseason.
Given how Bates has not started a game since the 2022 season, there probably would not have been too much demand on the market if the Bears wanted to outbid teams for the 27-year-old interior lineman. That would have saved the Bears a Day 3 pick, keeping their 2024 rookie class at six.
Three potential landing spots for former Broncos Pro Bowl safety
Pittsburgh Steelers surprisingly cut former 1st-round pick, Pro Bowl defender after failed…
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they released a veteran safety following a failed physical. The Steelers are set to shuffle around their roster before and during the free agency period next week.
The Pittsburgh Steelers released a starting safety Per a statement by the Steelers, the team released Keanu Neal: “The Steelers released safety Keanu Neal with the designation of Failed Physical on Thursday. Neal was placed on the Reserve/Injured List on Nov. 18 and stayed on it for the remainder of the season. Neal played in nine games in 2023, starting eight of them.
He recorded 50 tackles, 33 of them solo stops, and had one interception.” Keanu Neal had a two-year contract with the Steelers The Steelers signed Neal to a two-year contract last offseason. The Atlanta Falcons drafted Neal with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2016 draft. Neal was selected for the 2017 Pro Bowl.
According to Pro Football Focus, Neal earned a 59.6 overall grade for his play last season. Neal earned the PFWA’s All-Rookie Team honors in 2016. Per PFF, his best play in the league came during his first two seasons with the Falcons.
Report: Russell Wilson has ‘mutual interest’ with AFC North team
Christian Wilkins linked to two teams in free agency
Making it past the franchise-tag application deadline, Christian Wilkins is days away from becoming one of this year’s top free agents. The interior defensive lineman’s 2023 bet on himself appears close to paying off.
With the Ravens franchise-tagging Justin Madubuike, Wilkins will have a big opportunity ahead. If the Chiefs can re-sign Chris Jones at the 11th hour, Wilkins will have a clear runway to become the top defender available this year.
Four days from this year’s legal tampering period, two landing spots have emerged for the five-year Dolphins D-lineman. Via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora, several GMs are predicting the Texans will come out of this year’s signing period with Wilkins.
They will be far from the only team interested in the high-level run defender who showed his best pass-rushing stuff in 2023; KSTP’s Darren Wolfson mentioned during an appearance on SKOR North the Vikings are expected to have interest in the former first-round pick. Ranked fourth on PFR’s top 50 free-agent list, Wilkins has a clear Vikings connection in second-year Minnesota DC Brian Flores.
The veteran coach made Wilkins his first draft choice when in place as Dolphins HC back in 2019; Flores coached Wilkins for three years.
The Vikings have not enjoyed much success in terms of interior D-line pressure in many years. Wilkins’ nine sacks from 2023 would be Minnesota’s most from an interior defender since Kevin Williams reached 11.5 in 2004.
The Vikings also have major questions about their pass rush as a whole, with Danielle Hunter, D.J. Wonnum and Marcus Davenport due for free agency. The construction of the Texans’ roster gives them an interesting opportunity.
GM Nick Caserio avoided expensive deals during his first two years in charge, and while he made some pricey moves to bolster Houston’s O-line last year, the rookie contracts of C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson should set up the Texans to spend more than they have during Caserio’s tenure.
Placing a dynamic DT alongside Anderson would be a start, and two of them — Wilkins and Jones — are set to be available.
While Jones has proved to be one of this era’ best defenders, Wilkins is a bit younger — at 28 — and has played three fewer NFL seasons compared to the Chiefs standout. ESPN’s run stop win rate placed Wilkins as a top-two DT in 2021 and ’22; Flores was in place during the first of those seasons.
After the Dolphins framed their offer — a top-10 DT proposal in terms of AAV — around Wilkins’ lack of sack production, he broke through during Vic Fangio‘s season in charge. Wilkins’ 23 QB hits were 10 more than his previous single-season best.
The Texans hold $70M in cap space, while the Vikings sit at $37M. Although, Minnesota has a more complex path to a player like Wilkins. Kirk Cousins not re-signing by 3 p.m. CT March 13 would trigger a $28.5M dead-money hit.
The Vikings also have been talking to Hunter about re-signing, but given the issues the edge-rusher expressed about his previous Minnesota deal, it would surprise if he did not test free agency.
The Dolphins are in worse cap shape than both, and while they are attempting to keep the Clemson alum off the market, time is running out after they passed on franchise-tagging him.
By hitting the market, Wilkins should have a clear path to being paid on the level of 2019 first-round classmates Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams and Dexter Lawrence, who each signed extensions last year while Wilkins and the Dolphins could not come to terms.
Bombshell report reveals how Panthers have botched Brian Burns situation
Star CB shuts door on possible return to Dolphins
Free agent cornerback Xavien Howard appeared on “The Joe Rose Show” on Thursday and discussed what the future holds for him. The Baylor product spent his entire eight-year career with the Miami Dolphins before his release in late February. The move will save the Dolphins $18.5M in cap space with $7.4M in dead money, per Over the Cap.
Howard said there was no chance he’d be returning to South Beach. His words echo what the 30-year-old said ahead of the release. “My eight years here, I’ve made the best of it.
If this year is the last year and I have to say goodbye to some of the guys here, I understand,” Howard said, according to the Palm Beach Post. “It’s a part of the business.
No matter where I go, I’m still going to do my thing.” ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques noted, however, that what Howard said on Thursday was in “very stark contrast” to what general manager Chris Grier recently said. After being selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Howard put together a stellar career with the Dolphins.
He made all four of his Pro Bowls from 2018-2022, was a first-team All-Pro in 2020 and finished that season third in the AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Howard posted career highs in tackles (51), passes defended (20) and interceptions (10) in 2020, with the latter two categories leading the league. He was limited to 13 games in 2023 and posted 45 tackles, 12 passes defended and one interception.
Despite his individual success, the team only made the playoffs three times during his tenure in Miami and failed to win a postseason contest. They lost in the 2016, 2022 and 2023 wild-card rounds. Howard recorded interceptions in the 2016 and 2022 playoffs but missed this winter’s loss to the Chiefs due to a foot injury.
As March Madness looms, here are four potential NCAA Tournament sleepers
Patriots WR has been league’s worst in this stat for four straight years
Quarterback Mac Jones’ struggles during the 2023 season have been well-documented. Analysts and fans alike have also discussed how poor of an offensive supporting cast the Alabama product has dealt with in his young career with the New England Patriots.
There are now some advanced stats to show just how bad it’s been as one of Jones’ top targets has, in a sense, been among the worst wide receivers in the league since 2020.
DeVante Parker has shown flashes of dominance during his nine seasons, proving why the Miami Dolphins selected him in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
The 31-year-old had his healthiest (and best) season in 2019, recording career highs across the board in games played (16), games started (14), targets (128), receptions (72), receiving yards (1,202) and touchdowns (nine).
However, Parker’s numbers have decreased each year since. After playing in 14 games in 2020, he was limited to a career-low 10 contests in 2021 — his final campaign in Miami — due to a hamstring injury.
Parker was traded to the Patriots in April 2022. The former Louisville Cardinal has missed four games apiece during his first two seasons in New England and even when he’s been able to suit up, has been largely ineffective.
Parker has recorded just 64 catches for 933 and three touchdowns on 102 targets across 26 contests with the Patriots, failing to find the end zone for the first time in his career in 2023. New England could be forced to run it back with the pass-catcher in 2024 though, as his current contract won’t expire until the 2026 offseason.
