We Have Our Champion

March Madness is officially over, shoutout to the UConn Huskies on a dominant tournament run. They now have five National Championships since 1999, making them the most dominant program of the last two decades - no one else has more than three. Sanogo was an absolute beast these past three weeks 💪

Now back to the NBA - the term "bad loss" gets overused and tends to hold very little meaning — after all, can a loss ever be good? However, the Timberwolves' Sunday defeat at the hands of the Blazers is the rare case that truly exemplifies the term. The Wolves were 19.5 point favorites in the game, qualifying it as the largest NBA upset in the last 30 years 😳

The Blazers shut down Damian Lillard for the remainder of the season in an overt tank job, obviously with the goal of losing more games. But Minnesota blew a 12-point lead to a squad a casual NBA fan might not recognize a single active player. Seriously, look at the box score 😬

• To add insult to injury, Wolves forward Kyle Anderson sealed the team's fate with one of the more embarrassing layup attempts in recent memory

This loss placed Minnesota in a precarious spot heading toward the Play-In tournament, a situation shared by their opponent tonight. The Nets have completely overhauled their roster over the course of this season, but still are in position to nab the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. However, Brooklyn will need to close the season strong with Miami hot on their trail 👀

Timberwolves vs. Nets Betting Preview (odds subject to change)

• Spread: Nets -1

• Moneyline: Nets -112 (bet $112, win $100), Wolves -104 (bet $104, win $100)

• O/U: 227.5

Strange Seasons

The team with which the Nets are preparing to enter the playoffs is dramatically different than the one that opened the season. The Kyrie and KD trades left the Nets with a number of intriguing assets, but a roster that lacks proven playoff stars. The centerpiece of the Nets' midseason trades was two-way forward Mikal Bridges, who has been nothing short of a revelation in Brooklyn ⭐️

• Heralded as a defensive stopper with complementary offensive upside, Bridges has looked like a legitimate No. 1 option in Brooklyn

• He's putting up bona fide All-NBA numbers with this increased responsibility, and his efficiency has somehow improved

The Wolves also made an impactful midseason trade, but they certainly didn't land anyone of Bridges' quality. Veteran PG Mike Conley has fit more seamlessly with the roster than the departing D'Angelo Russell, but Minnesota still looks like a team that mortgaged a bright future for mediocrity. The Rudy Gobert trade made little sense at the time and only looks worse in hindsight, but that doesn't mean there's no hope left in Minnesota 🐺

• With a young star like Anthony Edwards in the fold, the Wolves have the potential to be in the mix every year. Edwards has legitimate MVP-level upside, but he'll need to round out the rougher edges of his game, like playmaking and defensive intensity in order to reach it

• Sweet-shooting big man Karl-Anthony Towns has missed most of the season, but is back on the court and already making game (and potentially season) changing plays 💪

Brooklyn has a two game lead over the Heat for the sixth seed in the East, while Minnesota is currently in ninth out West, but just two games back from fifth. This should be a fun next few days with just four games remaining for most teams 🏀

For My Parlay Gurus

Brooklyn has been a nice story after such a disappointing last few seasons, but Minnesota is clearly the more talented team in this matchup. Now in danger of possibly missing the Play-In tournament altogether, I like the Wolves to score a huge win with their backs against the wall. Take a look 👇

• Wolves +1 @ Nets: -112

• KAT OVER 21.5 Points: -102

$100 on this bet would win you $231 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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