TMJF: Wolves 106, Nuggets 100

I'm as surprised as you are. Minnesota gave up 40 points in the first quarter and then only 60 the rest of the way, jumping on Denver in a 31-12 third period that gave them the lead for good. A lot had to go right for Minnesota -- Denver missed a bunch of shots, basically stopped trying for a while, while Ryan Gomes was white-hot and Corey Brewer made about four shots that had no business going in -- but when you snap a 15-game losing streak, against one of the league's best teams, no less, you don't worry about such things.

This game really turned me off on Denver, by the way. After the 40-25 first quarter, after which it appeared to everyone (including me, and including, apparently, the Nuggets) that it would be an easy victory for the home team, they just basically turned off their effort and assumed that victory would take care of itself. The entire third quarter, as they were imploding, they acted entitled to foul calls that weren't really there, barked at officials even more than a typical NBA club, and did a bunch of cheap physical stuff that I thought was out of line.

Now, on to Mr. Flynn

Stat Line: 29 minutes, 7-17 FG, 0-4 3FG, 2-3 FT, 16 pts, 4 rebs, 6 assts, 1 stl, 2 TOs.

Great game for Jonny. The shooting numbers aren't great, but at least two were legitimately in and out, with another two just a fraction of an inch off. He got past his man most of the night, finishing well at the rim (especially with his left hand) and finding teammates.

Moreover, he only committed two turnovers, matching his season (and career) low. And you can see that he's becoming more comfortable running an NBA team; directing his teammates on the court, calling for the ball after a rebound, picking his spots to be aggressive more judiciously.

A big step forward for a player and a team that needed it. Next up is Memphis, which just got outscored 33-7 -- yes, you read that right -- in the fourth quarter to lose 98-88 at the Clips. Too early to talk about a winning streak?