Minnesota Spring - Coat On, Coat Off, Repeat

 

Minnesota Spring - Coat On, Coat Off, Repeat

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for March 16, 2025

Our house is usually a calm, well-oiled machine with just one golden retriever running the show, but this week, we got upgraded to full-blown chaos. Blue’s brother and his girlfriend moved in, and suddenly, it’s like hosting a doggy version of WrestleMania. Maddie, the puppy, has an energy level that could power a small city, and the three of them together have turned the place into a non-stop, tail-chasing, toy-stealing circus. Peace and quiet? Let’s just say they’ll be making a comeback… in a few more days.

Walking into Burnsville Mall these days feels less like a shopping trip and more like I accidentally wandered onto the set of a post-apocalyptic movie—just waiting for a tumbleweed to roll past an abandoned Orange Julius. When I was a kid, this place was the back-to-school pilgrimage spot, where my family would drive two hours from Iowa just to let me pick out a couple of shirts I’d regret by October. Now, it’s an eerie monument to a time when malls were packed, food courts smelled like Sbarro, and your biggest problem was whether you had enough quarters for the arcade. Instead, I strolled through 80-90% empty corridors, past the ghosts of stores that once defined my childhood, and realized—oh my God, I’m old.

Friday night, downtown Minneapolis, and the Wolves were riding a six-game winning streak—so naturally, we had to be there to witness either greatness or heartbreak. The place was packed, the energy was high, and for once, Timberwolves fans weren’t just bracing for impact. With Orlando in town, we were ready for a battle, or at the very least, an excuse to yell at referees.

Luke and I hit up Target Center for some father-son bonding, which for us means yelling at referees and making terrible parlay bets. We like to think it adds to the excitement, but really, it just adds to the list of things we regret by halftime. At this point, I’m convinced we could pick a guy to miss a shot and somehow still lose. But hey, at least we had a great time watching the Wolves—because if history has taught us anything, it’s that the memories last longer than our betting balance.

Gable Steveson was at the game, sitting courtside like a man who could probably suplex an NBA center just for fun. Olympic gold medalist wrestler, four-time Big Ten champ, 2 time NCAA Champ, — this guy collects accolades like I collect bad parlay bets. It was cool seeing him there, though I have to wonder: does he ever sit back, watch a rebound battle, and think, I could take ‘em?

Back in January, the Wolves’ trade for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo looked like a disaster—like one of those deals where you start Googling "Can you return an NBA player?" But now that they’re finally healthy and contributing, it turns out the overreactions might have been a little premature. Amazing what happens when your key players aren’t stuck in street clothes.

The Magic rolled into town clinging to the eighth seed in the East, which is basically NBA purgatory—just good enough to pretend you’re a contender, just bad enough to get bounced in the first round. Paolo Banchero has been doing everything he can to drag this team forward, dropping 25 a night while wondering if anyone else plans on showing up. 

The Wolves clawed back from an eight-point deficit in the fourth, riding a 13-0 run and big plays from Anthony Edwards (28 points) and Donte DiVincenzo to seal a 118-111 win—their seventh straight. Paolo Banchero did his best with 43 points, but Minnesota wasn’t in the mood to let Orlando ruin the streak. The West is a war zone, but this team made the conference finals last year and looks even sharper now. If they keep peaking at the right time, maybe—just maybe—we’re talking about a trip to the Finals instead.