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Wolves Notes: Gobert, Towns, Durant, Murray

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Although the Timberwolves were encouraged by last season’s success, there was an “overwhelming feeling internally” that the team would hit a wall before becoming a legitimate title contender if it didn’t make at least one more major upgrade, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

That line of thought was the motivation behind the team’s blockbuster trade agreement for three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. As Krawczynski explains, the front office had a hard time identifying another player around the NBA who could address so many of the club’s weaknesses and would be available for the package Minnesota was willing to offer.

The Timberwolves anticipate Gobert will make life easier for his new teammates, allowing them to take more gambles on defense and giving D’Angelo Russell a pick-and-roll partner who sets good screens and can be a lob threat.

The Wolves also believe they can make Gobert’s life easier — Minnesota has stronger perimeter defenders (Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Taurean Prince) than Utah did, and Karl-Anthony Towns‘ ability to make outside shots will complement Gobert’s inside game, Krawczynski notes.

Here’s more on the Wolves and their roster shake-up:

  • Sources tell Krawczynski that Gobert has expressed excitement about playing with the Timberwolves and that Towns was especially supportive of the move.
  • According to Krawczynski, Wolves sources were pessimistic throughout the process that an agreement would actually be reached, and a deal looked to be “in peril” as of Friday morning. Minnesota was prepared to shift its focus to other targets like Myles Turner or Clint Capela before the Gobert talks gained traction again later on Friday when Utah agreed to do a deal without McDaniels included.
  • Before striking a deal for Gobert, the Wolves made “several calls” to the Nets about Kevin Durant, sources tell Krawczynski. However, Minnesota was unwilling to give up Edwards or Towns for Durant, so those talks didn’t go far.
  • The Timberwolves were also in the mix for Dejounte Murray and could have outbid the Hawks for him, but the fact that they didn’t shows that they valued Gobert more, observes Krawczynski.
  • Chris Hine of The Star Tribune takes a closer look at the impact the acquisition of Gobert will have on the Wolves both offensively and defensively, as well as from a salary cap perspective.

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Yellowstone Towns Had Big Summer Plans Until Floods Struck

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GARDINER, Mont. — The ominous gray clouds have vanished after deluging Yellowstone National Park with floodwaters over the weekend, leaving sunshine and blue skies as the park’s eponymous river and its tributaries recede. The weather would have been perfect for the tens of thousands of tourists who normally kick off their summer vacations this week in the country’s oldest national park.

But the storm has left residents in Yellowstone tourist towns like Gardiner, Mont., suddenly wondering if they can still scratch out a living now that the park’s popular north entrance is closed indefinitely. Days ago, such thoughts were unfathomable, coming off a pandemic boom in nature tourism that saw Yellowstone set a record for visits in 2021.

Lined with fishing guide companies, restaurants, motels and stores that cater to the hundreds of thousands who throng here each summer, the only road between this town and the park headquarters was obliterated by raging floodwaters. The timetable for rebuilding remains unclear; as of now, the National Park Service has said the north entrance will probably remain closed until around Halloween.

That has local business owners fearing the worst.

“There will be no fishing in northern Yellowstone this year and next year and hopefully not stretching into a third year,” said Richard Parks, owner of Parks’ Fly Shop, a longtime Yellowstone fixture situated a couple of hundred yards from the entrance station to the park. “Seventy-five percent of my business has been cut off at the knees.”

As visitors leave Gardiner to head toward the park’s interior, they drive on a five-mile, two-lane road that winds along the Gardner River — spelled differently from the town, though derived from the name of the same fur trapper. Bison, bighorn sheep, elk and pronghorn are often seen on this stretch.

Heavy rain fell on melting snow in Yellowstone’s high country last weekend, the result of unusually warm temperatures and an atmospheric river that swept through with a fury that locals said they had never before seen. The Gardner River — usually small enough to easily toss a stone across — became a torrent, turning rocks and logs into wrecking balls that ripped out large sections of road.

Yellowstone officials have not said definitively how long road replacement might take and were unavailable for comment Thursday. Scientists have warned that climate change will cause similar destruction for years to come in U.S. national parks.

That road was Gardiner’s economic lifeline. While the town has access to Bozeman and other communities to the north, the park is its raison d’être.

Living intimately with the extremes of nature — many feet of snow one winter and drought the next; wildfires that threaten homes; and grizzly and bison attacks — has bred a roll-with-the-punches philosophy here.

Mr. Parks, whose business has survived the vagaries of Yellowstone conditions since 1953 when his father opened the shop, said he thought some places might not survive the road closure.

The West is replete with boom-bust tales, from the Gold Rush in California to cattle ranching in Wyoming. Business operators here have experienced their own mini cycle in recent years. When Covid-19 forced shutdowns in March 2020, many struggled to survive.

“Then July rolled around and people realized they could be outside and boom, things took off,” said Sami Gortmaker, manager of Flying Pig Adventures, a whitewater rafting company in Gardiner. “So you never know. We have learned to take each month like its own season.”

On Wednesday, the streets of Gardiner were deserted, and Stacey Orsted was locking the door of the Wonderland Cafe and Lodge before climbing into an RV. The county shut down her business because the town lacked drinking water after flooding closed the water plant.

For the time being, she saw the forced closure as bit of flood-induced serendipity and was taking advantage of the time off — a 180-degree reversal just as she was gearing up for the summer onslaught.

“This is great,” she said. “We never get two days in a row off in the summer.”

She said she would reopen when allowed. “We thought that Covid was the worst that could happen,” she said, “but the road closure is potentially the scariest.”

Native Americans, including members of the Crow tribe, lived here until they were forced onto reservations in the mid- to late 1800s. After Yellowstone was declared the country’s first national park in 1872, a hotel, restaurant and other amenities were built in view of Yellowstone’s towering peaks. The railroad reached here in 1902 and Gardiner became a jumping off point for expeditions.

Gardiner is clustered at the mountain-ringed entrance to the park, an unincorporated area with many streets that run only one or two blocks long. The Yellowstone River flows through the middle of town.

For a long time, Gardiner felt like a wind-scoured outpost with faded buildings and poor roads. But in the last couple of decades, new businesses have opened, and the town has a more prosperous feel. Wild bison sometimes congregate on the football field at the new high school.

At the Flying Pig, several river guides and other employees were lounging in the log cabin office or on brightly colored rubber rafts outside. Others were petting the company dog or tossing beanbags in a rousing game of cornhole.

Its owner, Patrick Sipp, said the floodwaters had also torn apart and rebuilt the Yellowstone River in a different way. “It’s a whole new river,” Mr. Sipp said. “We are going to have to relearn it.”

Despite the current respite, the damage may not be over. The forecast calls for warmer temperatures and rain this weekend, which could send water gushing through the region again.

“If there’s one thing we’ve learned its resilience,” Mr. Sipp said, vowing to continue his business. “This is the best career I have ever been part of.”

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Yellowstone Park flooding: Parts may reopen to tourists on Monday, but flooding has been a disaster for neighboring towns

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The park’s northern region, which bore the brunt of the flood damage, is expected to be closed for a “substantial length of time,” which will likely go through the end of the season, the park said in a release Tuesday.

But while the southern loop reopening may provide relief to some tourism industry workers, those bordering the northern entrance are still left to wait.

In the south Montana city of Gardiner, which acts as a gateway into Yellowstone’s northern entrance, hotel owners are already feeling the impact.

“There’s nobody here,” Keri Huesing, owner of Yellowstone Gateway Inn, told CNN. “We were booked solid for a year.”

Now, she says, all but one of her visitors are gone, following the flooding, and one neighboring hotel has shut down completely and sent its employees home.

“It’s a Yellowstone town, and it lives and dies by tourism,” Park County Commissioner Bill Berg said of Gardiner.

In Cody, which lies east of the park, tourism industry workers were eager for answers from Sholly on the southern loop reopening, the Casper Star-Tribune reported. Sholly hopes gateway communities and park staff can determine how to sustain local businesses without attracting more visitors than the park can host, the paper reported.

The dangerous flooding fueled by heavy rainfall and snowmelt began to inundate the park and several surrounding communities Monday, overtaking essential roadways and bridges, and making it dangerous or impossible for some people to evacuate.

As some communities became completely surrounded by water, at times without power or drinking water, search and rescue teams worked to evacuate residents. The Montana National Guard this week carried out 87 rescues by helicopter, it said Wednesday on Facebook.

In Montana’s Park County, which includes Gardiner, water has been receding, and access to the communities that had been surrounded by floodwater has been restored for emergency vehicles at a minimum, Greg Coleman, the county’s emergency services manager, said Wednesday morning.

Park temporarily closed as locals try to recover

All five entrances to Yellowstone will remain closed through at least the weekend, the park said in a release Tuesday, and the northern roads of the park will likely be closed for an extended period due to “severely damaged, impacted infrastructure.”

The battering floodwaters wiped away entire segments of paved road near the northern entrance, downed trees and triggered multiple mudslides.

Communities surrounding Yellowstone are also reeling from the catastrophic damage. Quickly moving waters compromised several roads and bridges, submerged cars, and even swept away homes as the underlying foundations became completely worn away.

In Park County, at least two homes collapsed into the intruding Yellowstone River early this week, and numerous homes and businesses were flooded, said Coleman, the county emergency official.

Video from witnesses showed one building in Gardiner collapsing into the river on Monday. Gardiner was isolated by water Monday and into Tuesday as flooding rendered roads and bridges impassable.

Aerial video captured by CNN shows one Montana home hanging precariously over the edge of a severely eroded embankment. Photos of the aftermath in the city of Red Lodge, Montana, on Tuesday, show several streets piled with rocks and debris as water still runs over the sidewalks.

Region braces for more potential flooding

The record flooding was caused by a combination of heavy rainfall and snowmelt from high elevations over the weekend in the Beartooth and Absaroka mountain ranges, which stretch across the Montana-Wyoming state line.

The level of runoff is comparable to the region receiving two to three times a normal June’s precipitation in only three days, according to CNN meteorologists.

A flood wave moved east Tuesday and Wednesday along the Yellowstone River, the National Weather Service said, leading to reports of major flooding in Billings, which is about a 175-mile drive east of Gardiner. By Tuesday afternoon, the river at Billings had surged well above its previous record of 15 feet, according to the weather service.

The flooding prompted city officials to shut down the city water plant late Tuesday night, the city’s public works department said.

The plant resumed operations at a low level Wednesday afternoon, and by Thursday morning it was working at full capacity, city officials said.

Even as water levels began to recede in areas on Tuesday and Wednesday, park officials and residents in the region are bracing for the possibility of more flooding in the coming days.

More snow could soon melt in the mountains of Wyoming and Montana, and that, coupled with more rain this weekend, could cause river levels to rise again, the National Weather Service’s office in Billings said.

Warm air is expected to move over the mountains Thursday night, keeping the low temperatures above freezing. This, along with plenty of sunshine during the day, should get snow melting. “Temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s in the high country both Friday and Saturday afternoon,” the weather service said.

“Expect a few days of melting of what is still a substantial snowpack in the mountains.”

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to hit the area Saturday night and Sunday.

The weather service’s latest river forecasts predict substantial rises due to the melt. Still, the levels are predicted to be well under flood stage, because the rainfall amounts look very light. River projections show this new rise in water peaking over the weekend around Yellowstone and in Billings on Monday.

“By the time slightly more substantial precipitation arrives Sunday night into Monday, temperatures drop into the 30s, and snow is probable above 8,500 feet Sunday night,” the weather service said.

“That said, those with interests near waterways in the western foothills should pay attention to the forecasts through the weekend in case the forecast changes significantly,” the service added.

The intense rainfall and rapid snow melt already experienced by the park and nearby communities are consistent with projections laid out in a climate assessment report released last year from scientists with the US Geological Survey, Montana State University and the University of Wyoming.

The climate crisis is already driving more annual precipitation and runoff from melting snowpack in the Greater Yellowstone Area, and the trend will continue in the coming years, the report said.

CNN’s Judson Jones, Nick Watt, Chris Boyette, Julia Jones, Sara Smart, Maegan Vazquez, Paradise Afshahar and Rachel Ramirez contributed to this report.

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At least five towns issue warnings about a man who may be targeting young women – Boston 25 News

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Police alert: At least five towns issue warnings about a man who may be targeting young women

MILFORD, Mass. — Police in several communities are warning women to be on the lookout for a man who’s vandalizing vehicles and then offering to help the women who are left stranded – unaware that the man offering the help actually caused the damage.

Incidents have been reported in Franklin, Holliston, Milford, Medway, and Bellingham.

Milford’s Deputy Police Chief John Sanchioni told Boston 25 on Saturday night that they have applied for a warrant for the arrest of Alexander Yee of Winchendon for an incident in their town. Sanchioni says Yee intentionally vandalized a woman’s car at the Target in Milford last Saturday when he allegedly poured juice in her gas tank. Sanchioni says Yee has refused to turn himself in. Police in Milford say Yee is in his 30′s and drives a blue Chevy Impala with MA plates.

“He has been targeting young females by flattening their tires, filling their gas tanks with water then offering to drive them home. If your vehicle has a flat tire DO NOT try and start it.” according to the Milford department’s post to Facebook.

Other communities also raised the alarm, including Holliston.

“Over the past week there have been local reports of an individual seeking to disable cars being operated by young females. In these situations, the individual may let air from a tire or add a gas tank contaminant, then approach the female to offer help in the form of a battery pack, air compressor, or a ride,” according to a post by Holliston Police.

“As in all situations, be aware that individuals offering help may have in fact been involved in orchestrating the situation. If your car becomes disabled, wait in a safe place for a friend, family member, or AAA to respond,” said Holliston Police.

Police in Franklin said the man wanted for these incidents was spotted in their town on Friday.

“If your vehicle is tampered with or breaks down shortly after starting, give us a call,” said Franklin Police in a post to Facebook

Officers in the town of Bellingham also issued a warning about this man.

“It is suspected that he tampered with a vehicle in the Charles River Center then approached the female owner when she found her vehicle was disabled, “said Bellingham Police in their Facebook post. “Please be vigilant and notify us immediately if you observe any suspicious activity. As a precaution please try to park in well-lit areas and avoid walking to your vehicle alone whenever possible.”

Police in Medway are also involved in this investigation.

Anyone with concerns is being urged to call their local police departments if they feel their vehicle was tampered with.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2022 Cox Media Group



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At least five towns issue warnings about a man who may be targeting young women – Boston 25 News

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MILFORD, Mass. — Police in several communities are warning women to be on the lookout for a man who’s vandalizing vehicles and then offering to help the women who are left stranded – unaware that the man offering the help actually caused the damage.

Incidents have been reported in Franklin, Holliston, Milford, Medway, and Bellingham.

Milford’s Deputy Police Chief John Sanchioni told Boston 25 on Saturday night that they have taken a warrant out for the arrest of Alexander Yee of Winchendon for an incident in their town. Sanchioni says Yee intentionally vandalized a woman’s car at the Target in Milford last Saturday when he allegedly poured juice in her gas tank. Sanchioni says Yee has refused to turn himself in. Police in Milford say Yee is in his 30′s and drives a blue Chevy Impala with MA plates.

“He has been targeting young females by flattening their tires, filling their gas tanks with water then offering to drive them home. If your vehicle has a flat tire DO NOT try and start it.” according to the Milford department’s post to Facebook.

Other communities also raised the alarm, including Holliston.

“Over the past week there have been local reports of an individual seeking to disable cars being operated by young females. In these situations, the individual may let air from a tire or add a gas tank contaminant, then approach the female to offer help in the form of a battery pack, air compressor, or a ride,” according to a post by Holliston Police.

“As in all situations, be aware that individuals offering help may have in fact been involved in orchestrating the situation. If your car becomes disabled, wait in a safe place for a friend, family member, or AAA to respond,” said Holliston Police.

Police in Franklin said the man wanted for these incidents was spotted in their town on Friday.

“If your vehicle is tampered with or breaks down shortly after starting, give us a call,” said Franklin Police in a post to Facebook

Officers in the town of Bellingham also issued a warning about this man.

“It is suspected that he tampered with a vehicle in the Charles River Center then approached the female owner when she found her vehicle was disabled, “said Bellingham Police in their Facebook post. “Please be vigilant and notify us immediately if you observe any suspicious activity. As a precaution please try to park in well-lit areas and avoid walking to your vehicle alone whenever possible.”

Police in Medway are also involved in this investigation.

Anyone with concerns is being urged to call their local police departments if they feel their vehicle was tampered with.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2022 Cox Media Group



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Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns bounces back in Game 4 win over Memphis Grizzlies

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MINNEAPOLIS — Coming off a lackluster outing in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Game 3 loss, Karl-Anthony Towns responded with a prolific performance in Minnesota’s 119-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 on Saturday night. The best-of-seven series is now deadlocked at 2-2.

Towns, a three-time All-Star and the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA draft, struggled in the previous two games, both Minnesota losses. In Games 2 and 3, he racked up 10 personal fouls but made only seven field goals, as the Grizzlies threw multiple defenders at him in the half court.

“A bunch of rage,” Towns said of his mood coming into Game 4. “Trying to find ways to dominate regardless of what they throw [at me] — double, triple, quadruple, coach comes on the court and guards me, as well — and find ways to put the ball in the bucket.”

Towns answered with 33 points and 14 rebounds, joining Kevin Garnett as the only Timberwolves players to record a 30-and-10 playoff game. One of the NBA’s most versatile offensive big men, Towns showed off his full repertoire. He thrived in the pick-and-roll, drove as an isolation scorer against Memphis’ overmatched big defenders and even came off screens as a long-distance shooter. He scored an efficient 1.43 points per possession.

“He was angry,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said of Towns’ attitude before the contest. “He was really good from the beginning: aggressive, putting pressure on them, forcing them to blow the whistle, get to the free throw line, things that he hadn’t been doing a lot in the last couple of games.”

Towns made a living at the free throw line on Saturday, challenging the Grizzlies’ defense en route to the basket. He sank 14 of his 17 free throw attempts and attributed much of his overall success in Game 4 to his output at the stripe.

“It gives me free shots at the rim,” Towns said. “It gives a good touch of the basketball. It gives me a good rhythm. More importantly for me, personally, it allows me to calm down.”

Among those free throws were the pair that iced the game for the Timberwolves, putting them up four with 4.4 seconds remaining. Towns, a career 83.3% free throw shooter, said he was infinitely confident he’d drain the final shot.

“I knew it was good — the game was over,” he said. “I was thinking about what I was going to eat.”

Afterward, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant praised Towns’ effort in light of his poor showing in Minnesota’s historic collapse in Game 3.

“KAT responded like a superstar should,” Morant said.

Morant, who labored for only 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting from the field — accompanied by 16 assists — will have an opportunity to answer for himself in Game 5 at Memphis on Tuesday night.

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Grizzlies vs. Wolves score, takeaways: Karl-Anthony Towns’ huge bounce-back effort helps Minnesota even series

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The Minnesota Timberwolves evened their first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies with a nerve-wracking, 119-118, Game 4 win in Minneapolis on Saturday night. The series will now shift back to Memphis with things all squared up at 2-2.

Karl-Anthony Towns was the story of Game 4, making amends for a disappointing effort in the previous game by putting up 33 points and 14 rebounds on 8-for-17 shooting, while going 14 of 17 from the free throw line. Anthony Edwards returned from a brief injury scare in the first quarter to put up 24 points on 4-for-8 3-point shooting.

Desmond Bane kept Memphis afloat for much of the evening as multiple Grizzlies dealt with foul trouble, finishing with a game-high 34 points on 8-for-12 3-point shooting. Dillon Brooks added 24 points, while Ja Morant struggled from the field for most of the night, but ended with 11 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds.

Here are a few takeaways from Saturday’s game, along with a recap of our live updates.

Towns bounces back

Virtually no star in these playoffs has endured as much criticism as Towns did after his puzzling Game 3 performance, in which he scored just eight points on four field goal attempts while picking up five fouls. He needed to respond on Saturday, and boy, did he ever.

Towns came out aggressive from the jump, refusing to settle for jumpers and getting into the lane to draw free throws. Wolves coach Chris Finch said afterward that Towns played “pissed and loose.” The most free throws Towns had ever attempted in a playoff game was eight, and he more than doubled that in Game 4.

These weren’t empty calorie numbers either, as Towns did much of his damage late after the Grizzlies surged back. He scored 13 points in the fourth quarter on 4-of-5 field goals, and made two game-clinching free throws with 4.4 seconds left.

The Timberwolves have to be pleased with the performance they got from their star on Saturday, and it could provide the team with some momentum as they head back to Memphis for Game 5.

Rough night for Ja

Coming in with a career playoff scoring average of 27.8 points, Morant looked baffled for most of the evening when it came to creating his own offense. He did a great job facilitating with 15 assists, but the lanes he usually finds toward the basket simply weren’t often there, and when he did get to the rim he struggled to finish through Minnesota’s athleticism and length.

“I’m not Ja right now,” Morant said after the game. “I’m not playing above the rim.”  

On top of his difficulties scoring, Morant was also saddled with foul trouble for the majority of the night, which led to him playing only 33 minutes (he played 40 minutes in Game 3). The Wolves also relentlessly attacked him on the other end, as they’ve done for most of the series, which zapped Morant’s energy and created the foul issues.

Like Towns, Morant will look to bounce back in front of his home crowd in Game 5.

JMac out of nowhere

We’ve seen it time and time again in the playoffs. You account for the stars, but there’s usually one or two role players every game who make the difference. On Saturday that player was backup Timberwolves guard Jordan McLaughlin, who scored 16 points on 4-for-4 3-point shooting in just 14 minutes. His buckets came at big moments as well, like this fourth-quarter 3-pointer after the Grizzlies had cut the lead to five points.

It’s no secret that Minnesota relies on its three stars — Towns, Edwards and D’Angelo Russell — for the bulk of its scoring, but key contributions have come from the bench all year long. In a game as close as Saturday night’s, McLaughlin’s 16 points were absolutely crucial.

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Sports

Karl-Anthony Towns bounces back, Anthony Edwards erupts for 36 in Minnesota Timberwolves’ Game 1 win

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Anthony Edwards dazzled in his postseason debut, and Karl-Anthony Towns turned in an impressive bounce-back game as the Minnesota Timberwolves upset the Memphis Grizzlies 130-117 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday.

“We did a fabulous job of playing our game, Timberwolves basketball,” Towns said. “This was a team win. This happened because all of us came today with one goal in mind, and that was winning. I thought we played a lot of winning basketball. We did a lot of little things that are needed to win. We should be very proud of our performance.”

Edwards, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, scored 36 points to become the third-youngest player with more than 35 points in a playoff game, behind only Derrick Rose and Tyler Herro, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Edwards did his damage from all over the court, draining four shots from beyond the arc, making three baskets at the rim and converting 8 of 8 free throw attempts in one of the more auspicious coming-out parties in recent NBA history.

“I told [teammate Taurean Prince] I treat every game the same,” Edwards said. “I didn’t feel any different — like a regular-season game to me.”

Towns, who struggled from the field and with foul trouble in Minnesota’s play-in victory Tuesday night over the visiting LA Clippers, reversed his fortunes with an efficient 29-point, 13-rebound performance. He dominated Memphis center Steven Adams, scoring on 9 of his 11 attempts against the Grizzlies’ stalwart big man. It was a marked contrast to Towns’ choppy effort in Minneapolis.

“I’m happy with the performance I had tonight,” Towns said. “I just really feel like that’s what I’m supposed to do. It shouldn’t be something we should be celebrating, like, ‘Oh, you got a chance to play a really good game on a national stage. You should be really proud and excited.’ I’m supposed to do that.”

In his postgame comments, Towns emphasized Edwards’ uncanny shot-making, an ability to hit difficult attempts against tight defense. On Saturday, eight of Edwards’ 12 made field goals were contested by Memphis defenders.

“He’s not going to get an easy shot,” Towns said. “For him to be able to take multiple dribbles in the playoffs and still get to his spot and make a shot, it’s something that’s special. Because once you’re in the playoffs, usually the one-on-one dribble drives get taken away, and he’s still finding ways to get there. He’s a special talent.”

Edwards’ shot probability — which measures the likelihood an attempt will be successful — was the lowest among the eight players in the game who attempted more than 10 field goals, according to Second Spectrum. Yet he finished with a healthy effective field goal percentage of 56%.

Well-aware of his reputation for taking challenging, sometimes lower-percentage attempts, Edwards quipped that he was quite satisfied with his diet of shots.

“I love my shots,” Edwards said. “Whatever shot I take, whether it’s a step-back trey-ball or a step-back midrange or a floater or a layup — whatever my shot is — I like it. Sometimes, [Timberwolves coach Chris Finch] may not like it, but I love my shot. I’m just trusting myself.”

The Timberwolves also trust Edwards, as the long-suffering Minnesota franchise goes up 1-0 in its quest to win a playoff series for the first time since 2004.

“When he’s playing basketball at this kind of level, he’s almost unstoppable,” Towns said of Edwards, before correcting himself. “He is unstoppable, actually.”

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World

Ukrainians curse Russian invaders as dead civilians found in liberated towns

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  • Dead civilians line streets of recaptured town near Kyiv
  • Ukraine accuses Russian forces of laying mines
  • ICRC convoy on way to besieged port of Mariupol
  • Ukrainian negotiator hints at Zelenskiy-Putin talks

BUCHA, Ukraine, April 3 (Reuters) – As Ukraine said its forces had retaken all areas around Kyiv, the mayor of a liberated town said 300 residents had been killed during a month-long occupation by the Russian army, and victims were seen in a mass grave and still lying on the streets.

Ukraine’s troops have retaken more than 30 towns and villages around Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday, claiming complete control of the capital region for the first time since Russia launched its invasion.

At Bucha, a town neighbouring Irpin just 37 km (23 miles) northwest of the capital, Reuters journalists saw bodies lying in the streets and the hands and feet of multiple corpses poking out of a still-open grave at a church ground. read more

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After more than five weeks of fighting, Russia has pulled back forces that had threatened Kyiv from the north to regroup for battles in eastern Ukraine.

“The whole Kyiv region is liberated from the invader,” Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on Facebook. There was no Russian comment on the claim, which Reuters could not immediately verify.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned in a video address: “They are mining all this territory. Houses are mined, equipment is mined, even the bodies of dead people.” He did not cite evidence. read more

Ukraine’s emergencies service said more than 1,500 explosives had been found in one day during a search of the village of Dmytrivka, west of the capital.

Russia’s defence ministry did not reply to a request for comment on the mining allegations. Reuters could not independently verify them. Moscow denies targeting civilians and rejects war crimes allegations.

But in Bucha, Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk said more than 300 residents had been killed. Many residents tearfully recalled brushes with death and cursed the departed Russians.

“The bastards!” Vasily, a grizzled 66-year-old man said, weeping with rage as he looked at more than a dozen bodies lying in the road outside his house. “I’m sorry. The tank behind me was shooting. Dogs!”

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she was appalled by atrocities in Bucha and voiced support for the International Criminal Court’s inquiry into potential war crimes.

PUTIN-ZELENSKIY TALKS?

Since the launch on Feb. 24 of what President Vladimir Putin called a “special military operation” to demilitarise and “denazify” Ukraine, Russia has failed to capture a single major city and has instead laid siege to urban areas, uprooting a quarter of the country’s population.

Russia has depicted its drawdown of forces near Kyiv as a goodwill gesture in peace talks. Ukraine and its allies say Russia was forced to shift its focus to east Ukraine after suffering heavy losses.

Both sides described talks last week in Istanbul and by video link as “difficult”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday the “main thing is that the talks continue, either in Istanbul or somewhere else”.

A new round of talks has not been announced. But Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said on Saturday that enough progress had been made to allow direct talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy.

“The Russian side confirmed our thesis that the draft documents have been sufficiently developed to allow direct consultations between the two countries’ leaders,” Arakhamia said. Russia has not commented on the possibility.

MARIUPOL WAITS

Among those killed near Kyiv was Maksim Levin, a Ukrainian photographer and videographer who was working for a news website and was a long-time contributor to Reuters. read more

His body was found in a village north of Kyiv on Friday, the news website LB.ua where he worked said on Saturday.

In the east, the Red Cross was hoping a convoy to evacuate civilians would reach the besieged port of Mariupol on Sunday, having abandoned earlier attempts due to security concerns. Russia blamed the ICRC for the delays. read more

Mariupol is Russia’s main target in Ukraine’s southeastern region of Donbas, and tens of thousands of civilians there are trapped with scant access to food and water. read more

British military intelligence said in a regular update on Sunday that Russian naval forces maintained a blockade of the Ukrainian coast along the along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Russia had the capability to attempt amphibious landings, although such operations were becoming increasingly high-risk, it said.

It said reported mines, the origin of which remained unclear and disputed, posed a serious risk to shipping in the Black Sea.

In the early hours of Sunday missiles struck Odesa, the city council in the southern port city said.

Russia’s defence ministry said its missiles had disabled military airfields in Poltava, in central Ukraine, and Dnipro, further south. It later said its forces had hit 28 Ukrainian military facilities across the country, including two weapons depots.

The Ukrainian military also reported Russian air strikes on the cities of Severodonetsk and Rubizhne in Luhansk, one of two southeastern regions where pro-Russian separatists declared breakaway states days before the invasion. The Ukrainian military said it had repulsed six enemy attacks in Luhansk and Donetsk, the other breakaway region, on Saturday.

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Additional reporting by Natalia Zinets in Mukachevo, Ukraine, Alessandra Prentice and Reuters bureaus; Writing by Simon Cameron-Moore; Editing by Stephen Coates and William Mallard

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Sports

Karl-Anthony Towns scores NBA season-best 60 points, has 17 rebounds as Minnesota Timberwolves beat San Antonio Spurs

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SAN ANTONIO — Karl-Anthony Towns delivered one of the most prolific performances by an NBA center in more than two decades.

And he finished with a nice round number, too.

Towns had a team-record 60 points — the most scored in the NBA this season — as the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the San Antonio Spurs 149-139 on Monday night.

“I told Coach [Chris Finch] before the game, ‘Hey listen, we need this win. I’ll do whatever it takes,'” Towns said. “‘If I need to play 44, 48 minutes, I’ll get it done.’ That was kind of the mindset I came in [with]. I had to dominate. I had to be my best.”

He certainly was.

Towns shot 19-for-31 overall, grabbed 17 rebounds and finished 7-for-11 on 3s in surpassing his previous career best of 56 points against the Atlanta Hawks on March 28, 2018 — which had been the franchise mark. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Hawks guard Trae Young previously shared league-high honors this season with 56 points.

Minnesota’s 7-foot All-Star capped his dazzling outburst by draining a 3-pointer with 1:39 remaining, shortly after making one of two free throws to reach 57 points.

Towns is the first player in NBA history to reach the benchmarks of 60 points, 15 rebounds and 60% 3-point shooting in a game.

He became the first NBA center with a 60-point game since Shaquille O’Neal had 61 for the Lakers on March 6, 2000 — O’Neal’s birthday. Overall, Towns is the fifth center with a 60-point game, joining O’Neal, David Robinson, Wilt Chamberlain and George Mikan.

Towns also became the first No. 1 overall pick to score 60 since James’ only career 60-point performance in 2014.

“The whole team was happy,” said Timberwolves point guard D’Angelo Russell, who had 19 points. “Everybody was being selfless about it. I think that was more of what I appreciated. The performance was amazing, but everybody wanted to see it, too.”

Minnesota is 1½ games behind the Denver Nuggets for sixth place in the Western Conference playoff chase.

San Antonio has lost two straight since Gregg Popovich earned his 1,336th career victory to become the winningest coach in NBA history. The Spurs have dropped seven of nine overall.

Keldon Johnson had 34 points for San Antonio. Dejounte Murray added 30 points and 12 assists, and Lonnie Walker IV scored 22.

The teams combined for 148 points in the first half, shooting 58-of-100 while playing at a frenzied pace. San Antonio opened the game 4-for-5 on 3-pointers, and Minnesota shot 75% from the field during the first seven minutes.

Towns had 14 points and five rebounds while playing the entire first quarter against Jakob Poeltl and Zach Collins.

“Karl was fantastic,” Popovich said. “He drove it, he shot it — he always plays hard. He’s a hell of a player. It’s not like it was a surprise, but tonight he was special.”

Towns had 32 points in the third quarter, the fourth-most in a single quarter over the past 25 seasons.

“They were selling out to protect the rim with everything else we were trying to do,” Finch said. “He had the matchup, and they didn’t have an answer for him. We definitely needed it, and he stepped up.”

The game got chippy in the third, as Minnesota guard Patrick Beverley got tangled up with Murray and Collins on separate possessions. The skirmishes fueled a 16-7 run for the Wolves that gave them a 112-99 lead with 2:30 remaining in the quarter.

Towns had 56 points through the first three periods. He sat down with 6:34 remaining shortly after picking up his fourth and fifth fouls within 45 seconds, but returned to the floor with three minutes left to set his career high.

Towns said he asked Finch what he wanted to do and that the coach told him to “go get 60.”

“So I just went out there, tried to be really aggressive,” Towns said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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