The Timberwolves missed three of their first four 3-point attempts on Saturday in Los Angeles. They also missed their final three of the night.

In between those stretches, Minnesota was a blazing inferno, hitting 20 of 35 attempts from beyond the arc to blitz the Lakers in Game 1.

“I mean, they had great shots, honestly,” Lakers wing Luka Doncic noted.

Indeed. Twenty-seven of Minnesota’s 42 3-point attempts were “wide open” according to Second Spectrum data available on NBA.com.

The Lakers don’t have a wing stopper, nor a rim protector around which to construct a defense. So, they play a condensed scheme that relies on positioning to collapse on opposing star players. So, every time any Wolves player — primarily, Anthony Edwards — got into the teeth of the defense, numerous shooters were left open around the perimeter.

Minnesota made itself even more difficult to guard through consistent off-ball movement where shooters relocated to open spots around the arc that created simple passes for Edwards to make.

“We watched a lot of film. Obviously, one thing we needed to work on — not just for this series, but in general — was just movement off the ball,” Wolves guard Mike Conley said. “And (Saturday) we did a really good job of relocating, making ourselves available for anybody who was making a drive towards the rim and drawing two people on them.

“(The Lakers) do a good job of loading up and bringing multiple people to the ball. So, we knew we just had to keep moving. We had to keep our bodies moving and make the extra play, make the extra read and not turn it over. As a result, we were getting good looks.”

Twenty-seven wide-open 3-point attempts is a big number. Minnesota averaged 20 throughout the regular season. If you generate that many high-value shots in a playoff game, your chances of success skyrocket.

“We know they have a lot of lasers. They have a lot of guys that can shoot from the perimeter,” Lakers forward LeBron James said. “So, we’ve gotta do a better job of closing the bodies, getting out on shooters. We’ll get back in the film room (Sunday), look at the things that we did well, some of the things that we didn’t do so well and continue to gameplan for Game 2. We’ve got a couple days to prep for that.”

It will be interesting to see if the Lakers determine they can continue to play their heavy-gap help scheme moving forward; it’s vulnerable to creating open catch-and-shoot 3s for their opponent.

Will Los Angeles try a different approach in an effort to patch an obvious hole from Game 1? Or will it take its chances on Minnesota’s shots not falling at the same rate on Tuesday?

Minnesota is a great 3-point shooting team. It has been all season. The Timberwolves finished the regular season with the fourth-highest 3-point percentage (37.7%) on the fifth-highest volume (39.9 attempts per game).

Much of that success did from Edwards, of whom the Lakers were aware around the perimeter Saturday. But Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Naz Reid and Mike Conley were also snipers, and the Lakers were largely done in by Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle. Those two combined to go 7 for 9 from deep on a night where Minnesota had a shooting performance to remember.

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The Wolves hit 19 of their 27 wide-open attempts Saturday. That 70% clip is the highest of any team in the NBA this season that attempted at least 23 in a game. Had Minnesota hit the regular 40% of wide open 3-point attempts it made throughout the season, the Wolves would have scored 18 fewer points.

With their season effectively on the line Tuesday, will the Lakers play the percentages?

Throughout the ages crows have been getting a bad rap. Along with being considered big, black, ugly and stupid, their singing is anything but beautiful. I’m sure you’ve heard the old expression about someone eating crow, meaning they were proved wrong and humiliated. Truthfully, crows are one of the smartest birds around. In fact, according to Greek and Roman mythology, crows were once the most respected birds on Earth. Back then, they were highly exalted and intelligent and possessed glorious voices that delighted all. They also had bright white feathers with gold trim on their wings and tails. Crows served the gods and goddesses as reliable messengers on Mount Olympus with great distinction until Corvus, the bungling, dishonest crow, messed it up for all crows forever.

That’s one of the myths of the springtime constellation Corvus the Crow. Like many spring constellations, it’s not all that big and not all that bright, but it is distinctive. Look for a lopsided trapezoid in the low south-southeastern sky that pops out as soon as it’s dark enough this time of year.  How that lopsided trapezoid is supposed to be a crow is certainly beyond me, but it has a heck of a story.

Apollo, the god of the sun, sent Corvus the crow on a quick but important mission to fetch water from a nearby, ultra-clear spring. Apollo sent off Corvus with one of his favorite king-sized chalices. That’s how much he cherished this spring water. Corvus didn’t know exactly where the spring was, and being a male crow, he was too stubborn to ask for directions.

Finally, in the mid-afternoon during the heat of the day, he arrived at the spring. Corvus was so hot and his throat so dry that he immediately plunged himself in the spring and had to get his fill of the precious water. He was about to begin filling up Apollo’s giant chalice when he saw a nearby fig tree loaded with fresh fruit. He rocketed to the tree and set the chalice down. The fruit was amazing. He told Apollo that he’d be back by suppertime, but he couldn’t stop eating the fruit. It was that good! Before he knew it was almost sunset, and there was no way he’d make it back to Apollo until the middle of the night.

Corvus was in a tight spot. He had to come up with a good excuse, hook or crook, for getting back home so late. His wheels were turning. Just after he filled Apollo’s giant chalice, he saw a water snake swimming close by. He quickly plucked it out of the water and that innocent snake was his scapegoat. With chalice clutched by one talon and the snake by the other, he put it into overdrive and flew home as fast as he could.

As he got closer to Mount Olympus, Corvus could see Apollo standing out on the edge of a cliff. From half a mile away, he could already see Apollo’s glare. When Corvus made his landing, he explained to Apollo that the water snake he captured tried to keep him from filling the chalice and he had to fight him off for hours.

Apollo was having none of this. He went on a rampage and fired Corvus on the spot. He didn’t stop there, though. Apollo banned all crows from Mount Olympus and used his magical godly powers to transform all crows from their beautiful white and gold colors to the jet black we see today. Continuing his tantrum, he waved his finger in anger once again and collectively turned all the crows’ beautiful singing voices into the caw caw we hear today. To top it off, Apollo flung Corvus, the chalice and the water snake in the sky to become the constellations we still see in the spring.

(Mike Lynch)

The lopsided trapezoid that makes up the constellation Corvus is easy to find but nearby Crater the Chalice and Hydra the Snake are much tougher to spot and are definitely deep-track constellations.

Celestial happenings this week

There’s a newly discovered faint comet available in the very early morning twilight. Comet SWAN may be visible in the very low northeastern sky just before morning twilight begins, around 4:30 to 5 a.m. It may be visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy star with a short tail, although you’ll probably need binoculars or a small telescope to spot it. Morning twilight will eventually wash it out. There are predictions that it’ll be much brighter toward the first part of May when it’s visible in the early evening sky, but I certainly wouldn’t take that to the bank.

Mike Lynch is an amateur astronomer and retired broadcast meteorologist for WCCO Radio in Minneapolis/St. Paul. He is the author of “Stars: a Month by Month Tour of the Constellations,” published by Adventure Publications and available at bookstores and adventurepublications.net. Mike is available for private star parties. You can contact him at mikewlynch@comcast.net.

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A cornerback has flipped sides of the Floyd of Rosedale rivalry.

John Nestor left the Iowa Hawkeyes to go into the NCAA transfer portal on March 25 and pledged to the Gophers on Sunday.

“Committed,” Nestor wrote on social media, sharing a photo of him wearing a maroon No. 7 jersey and pants.

Nestor played in 20 games for the Hawkeyes across the 2023-24 seasons. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 196 pounds, he totaled 14 tackles and recovered a muffed punt in a win over Nebraska a year ago. He was awarded Iowa’s “Team Hustle Award” for his effort on special teams.

Pro Football Focus tracked him for 109 total snaps at wide cornerback and more than 200 on special teams in 2024. In 2023, he saw the field for more than 140 special teams plays but zero on defense.

Nestor, who has two years of eligibility remaining for the U, was a three-star prospect coming out of Marist High School in Chicago. The Gophers offered him a scholarship in the class of 2023.

Nestor is the first addition to the Gophers’ roster in the spring transfer portal window.

Minnesota is moving on from three key cornerbacks who ran out of eligibility after last season (Justin Walley, Ethan Robinson and Jack Henderson) and need experienced depth. Za’Quan Bryan and North Carolina Central transfer Jaylen Bowden are penciled in as the U’s starters coming out of spring practice.

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GOVERNMENT

Jay Willms

The St. Paul City Council announced it has selected Jay Willms as director of city council operations. Willms’ previous role was chief budget officer at city council, a post he had held since June 2023.

ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS

Minneapolis-based creative agency Fast Horse announced it has promoted Scott Broberg to chief creative officer. Broberg has been with Fast Horse since 2003, most recently as chief integration officer.

ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING

Golden Valley-based engineering and consulting firm WSB announced the appointment of Tara Dresen as chief human resource officer. Dresen previously held similar roles at Trimble, CBRE and TwentyEighty. … Wold Architects & Engineers, St. Paul, announced the promotions of Elizabeth Palmer and Jonathan Kuzynowski to the firm’s associates leadership team in St. Paul.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Bank of America announced the opening of a financial center located at 5990 Nova Scotia Ave. N., Oak Park Heights.

HEALTH CARE

People Incorporated, an Eagan-based mental health service provider focused on incorporating people living with mental illness into their chosen communities, announced that CEO Jill Wiedemann-West received the Excellence in Healthcare Award at the Health 2.0 Conference in Las Vegas, honoring leadership in advancing mental health services and equity. … Essentia Health, a Duluth-based operator of hospitals and clinics, announced Dr. Stefanie Gefroh as West Market president, after having served in this role on an interim basis since August. In addition to Gefroh’s leadership roles, she has continued to see OB/GYN patients. … HealthPartners, a Bloomington-based health insurer and health care provider, announced the opening of a Specialty Center, located off the intersection of Interstate 94 and Radio Drive, Woodbury.

HONORS

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced it has named the West Central Small Business Development Center as the Minnesota Small Business Development Center of Excellence 2025. West Central SBDC is hosted by the Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead.

LAW

Nilan Johnson Lewis, Minneapolis, announced that attorney Susan Kratz has rejoined the firm as a shareholder and member of its health care and corporate/nonprofit groups. Kratz previously chaired the health care practice and served on the firm’s board of directors, and most recently served as Academic Health Center Counsel for the University of Minnesota. … Martine Law, Minneapolis, announced that Alan Pendleton, former District Court Judge in Minnesota’s 10th Judicial District, has joined the firm as of counsel.

MANUFACTURING

The Toro Co., a Bloomington-based maker of lawn mowers and snow removal machines for consumers and businesses, announced the hire of Lori A. Riley as vice president of human resources. Riley succeeds Margeaux M. King. Riley previously was with Northern Tool + Equipment, where she served as chief people and administrative officer.

NONPROFITS

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, an advocate for and provider of affordable housing, announced the opening of a third ReStore Home Improvement Outlet, located at 9300 Winnetka Ave. North in Brooklyn Park. ReStore is a home improvement retail outlet offering donated home furnishings, furniture and building supplies.

SERVICES

APi Group Corp., a New Brighton-based global provider of building safety and maintenance services for businesses, announced the promotion of David Jackola as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Jackola has been with the company since October 2021, most recently serving as interim chief financial officer and before that chief financial officer and vice president of Transformation at APi International.

SPONSORSHIPS

Allina Health, a Minneapolis-based operator of hospitals and clinics, announced a multi-year partnership with Minnesota Aurora to sponsor the front of the jersey and also become the official health system partner for the team. Minnesota Aurora is a professional women’s soccer team based in Eagan.

TECHNOLOGY

SkyWater Technology, a Bloomington-based semiconductor foundry, announced the following appointments to its board of directors: Timothy E. Baxter, director at Breville Holding and First Orion Corp., and chair of Alliance Mobile; Tammy J. Miller, former lieutenant governor of the state of North Dakota, and Andrew D.C. LaFrence, chief financial officer and senior vice president of finance at Nortech Systems Inc.

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