The Timberwolves flirted with disaster against the winless Nets on Monday in Brooklyn. The Wolves led the Nets by just three heading into the final frame.

But the Wolves veterans assumed control of the contest in the final frame.

Minnesota shifted to a 2-3 zone that slowed the isolation play of Nets guard Cam Thomas. 

The stops led to easy looks on the other end, as the Wolves rolled to a 125-109 victory.

Minnesota scored 34 points in a final frame in which it went 5 for 9 from 3-point range and 11 for 14 from the free-throw line.

Terance Mann #14 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles as Donte DiVincenzo #0 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends during the first half at Barclays Center on Nov. 03, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Naz Reid went 3 for 3 in the fourth quarter as part of a 21-point performance. Donte DiVincenzo scored 25 points on the strength of six triples. Jaden McDaniels had 22 points while going 9 for 11 from the field and Rudy Gobert had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

That was all in addition to a triple-double for Julius Randle.

It wasn’t always pretty for Minnesota, but it was effective enough in the end.

Here are takeaways from the win that got the Wolves (4-3) back over .500.

Another slow start

Minnesota trailed Charlotte by six at the break on Saturday before dominating the second half.

While the Wolves led by six at the break Monday, it Brooklyn’s first game this season in which it didn’t trail by double digits at the half.

The Wolves were sloppy with the ball out of the gates and again weren’t impactful enough defensively. That allows teams to build momentum.

Yes, they can rally past the worst ones, but the Lakers loss last week was a reminder it won’t always work that way. Minnesota’s current practices do not represent winning ways.

Brooklyn is really bad

The Nets not only dropped to 0-7 on the season with Monday’s loss, but they’ve given up 117-plus points in each of those defeats.

Their average margin of defeat is 16.

Minnesota’s last two wins are against teams likely to finish in the bottom five in the NBA standings this season. It’s the kickoff of a stretch until Nov. 24 in which the Wolves will play Sacramento thrice, Utah twice and Washington and Phoenix once.

Minnesota will shift gears with a game against a likely playoff team Wednesday in New York against the Knicks.

Randle tallies triple double

Julius Randle took it to heart when Chris Finch noted last season that the best versions of the forward and Anthony Edwards comes when they’re flirting with triple doubles.

That means scoring, yes, but also leaning into playmaking and making a concerted effort to hit the glass.

Randle did all of that Monday, tallying his 15th career triple double. He finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 dimes, the last of which came on a feed to Naz Reid for a corner triple just prior to checking out of the contest with three minutes to play.

Randle’s consistent offensive production thus far this season rivals that of an All-NBA player.

Edwards cleared for contact

Edwards has been cleared for contact just eight days after suffering his hamstring strain. He missed Monday’s game in Brooklyn, and it may be a surprise if he played Wednesday against the Knicks, but the All-NBA guard’s return to action looks closer than the two-week absence originally reported nationally.

Minnesota continues to struggle to deliver good basketball in his absence.

Related Articles

Julius Randle leads Wolves past Hornets in Charlotte

Frederick: Where is the Timberwolves’ urgency?

Austin Reaves gives L.A. Lakers another reason to rely on him with buzzer-beater vs. Wolves

Timberwolves players love Target Center’s new theatre-like arena lighting

What’s wrong with the Timberwolves defense?

Texas prep running back Jett Walker flipped his commitment from West Virginia to the Gophers on Monday.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder from Georgetown, Texas had been committed to the Mountaineers since April, but switched his pledge to Minnesota after a visiting during the 23-20 win over Michigan State last weekend.

The three-star prospect with over 5,000 career rushing yards had other offers from Houston, San Diego State, UNLV, Charlotte and others.

Walker, who is also a track athlete, is the 26th commitment in the U’s class for 2026. Missouri receiver Braiden Stevens committed to Minnesota earlier Monday.

Related Articles

Gophers add speedy Missouri receiver Braiden Stevens to recruiting class

Controversy? Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith responds to late calls

Gophers escape with 23-20 overtime win over Michigan State

Gophers to be without running back Darius Taylor vs. Michigan State

Frustrated by stagnation, Mark Coyle puts more money into Gophers men’s basketball

The Wild make their lone visit to San Jose this season on Dec. 31, but they’re hoping to be inspired by the forests of Northern California all season.

After last weekend’s 5-2 win over Vancouver, defenseman Jonas Brodin became the first member of the Wild to be awarded “Redwood,” which is a dark red fedora with feathers that will be given to the player of the game after every Minnesota win from here on out.

As explained by Marcus Foligno following Monday’s practice at TRIA Rink, the name came from the team’s general manager seeking inspiration from the towering trees found along the West Coast, north of San Francisco Bay.

“Billy Guerin kind of brought up a little note about the redwood tree and how they can get up to 100 or so feet tall,” Foligno said. “Its roots aren’t that big, but it grabs onto other trees around its roots. The message behind it all was to be a good teammate, rely on each other. You can be however tall you want to be and reach some great heights.”

Foligno joked that they originally considered just carrying a redwood tree with the team all season, but instead employed Zach Bogosian and Ryan Hartman to find a hat that would appropriately embody the spirit of the redwoods.

“We had it ordered for a while, and it just took a while to come in,” said Hartman, giving primary credit to Bogosian for the idea and for tracking down a hat that worked.

Upon arrival in Minnesota, the hat made it to the home locker room in time for the team to reward Brodin for his timely goal scored versus the Canucks, on the way to snapping a five-game skid.

After the Wild’s next win, Brodin will award the Redwood to the player most deserving, and so on.

“It’s got a little bit of an Indiana Jones look to it, especially when (Brodin) wears it, so it’s pretty awesome and actually it’s a pretty nice hat,” Foligno said, noting that it’s not just goal scorers that get recognized after wins. “It doesn’t have to be the guy that scores the goals, it could be something that happens in the game – a blocked shot or a big hit or a fight or things like that. It just kind of boosts the morale of the group, and something that we can all relate to and have fun with.”

Most NHL teams have a token handed out to the player of the game following wins. Last season, when the Wild adopted the theme, “choose your hard,” the post-win token was a thick chain holding a wooden sign that read “HARD.” In many cases, it is a piece of headwear. For example, the Winnipeg Jets commonly pass out a fighter pilot’s flight helmet.

Working at dad’s office

If Wild coach John Hynes is a little distracted when the team gets to North Carolina on Wednesday evening, in advance of their Thursday game versus the Hurricanes, it’s just because he’s checking in on a member of the family.

While Hynes will not be working at Grand Casino Arena that night, his daughter, Anna, will be chasing a state championship there.

Anna is a freshman setter in her first season on the volleyball team at Mahtomedi High School. After winning the Section 4AAA title, the sixth-seeded Zephyrs (21-9) will face third-seeded Stewartville (26-4) at 7 p.m. Wednesday night in the tournament’s semifinal round.

Related Articles

Some much-needed daylight as Wild snap five-game losing skid

Faceoffs in focus as Ben Jones gets his fourth Wild game

Nostalgia strong when 2000s Wild stars return to St. Paul

Last year’s torrid start under John Hynes set high expectations for Wild

Following a brief Wild stint, Justin Brazeau’s breakout not surprising

By DEE-ANN DURBIN

Denny’s said Monday that it’s being acquired by a group on investors in a deal that will take the breakfast chain private.

Related Articles

Stillwater: Construction mishap causes power outage near Lakeview Hospital construction site

Starbucks sells 60% stake in China business in $4 billion deal

Microsoft $9.7 billion deal with IREN will give it access to Nvidia chips

OpenAI and Amazon sign $38 billion deal for AI computing power

Should couples have a separate or joint bank account?

Denny’s board unanimously approved the deal, which values Denny’s at $620 million including debt. Denny’s will be purchased by private equity investment company TriArtisan Capital Advisors, investment firm Treville Capital and Yadav Enterprises, which is one of Denny’s largest franchisees.

Under the agreement, Denny’s shareholders will receive $6.25 per share in cash for each share of Denny’s common stock they own, or a total of $322 million. That represents a 52% premium to Denny’s closing stock price Monday.

Denny’s shares jumped 47% in after-hours trading Monday.

Denny’s was founded in 1953 in Lakewood, California, as Danny’s Donuts. The name was changed to Denny’s Coffee Shops in 1959 to avoid confusion with another chain. Denny’s began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in 1969.

Like many casual chains, Denny’s saw its sales plummet during the COVID pandemic. Once the pandemic eased, it found itself dealing with changing customer dining patterns, including a heavier reliance on delivery. Denny’s has also struggled as newer chains like First Watch promoted healthier breakfast options.

Last fall, Denny’s said it planned to close 150 of its lowest-performing locations. At the end of the second quarter, Denny’s had 1,558 restaurants worldwide, including 1,422 Denny’s restaurants and 74 Keke’s restaurants. Denny’s acquired the Keke’s brand in 2022.

Denny’s CEO Kelli Valade said the company reached out to more than 40 potential buyers and received multiple offers. Valade said Denny’s board believed the deal announced Monday was in the best interest of shareholders and the best path forward for the company.

TriArtisan Co-Founder and Managing Director Rhohit Manocha called Denny’s “an iconic piece of the American dream” with a strong franchise base and loyal customers.

“We look forward to working with Kelli and the rest of the Denny’s team and franchisees to provide resources and support the Company’s long-term strategic growth plans,” Manocha said in a statement.

If it’s accepted by Denny’s shareholders, the deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026.