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Lynx Prepare for Game 3, Reflections on Wolves First Preseason Game

Karl-Anthony Towns impressed throughout his Wolves debut.

By Lindsey M. Young
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Lynx News

The Lynx are pursuing their third championship in five years, but Indiana isn't looking to make it easy on them. After losing their first home game 75-69, the Lynx rebounded Tuesday and hung on to win 77-71 and even the series at 1-1 before heading to Indiana tonight. The series is best of five, so it's guaranteed to go at least two more games; the matchups are scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (CST).

Sylvia Fowles' 30th birthday was Tuesday, and she certainly gave a performance worth celebrating. Fowles finished the game with 21 points and nine rebounds to help Minnesota to a win.

"She was big for us in Game 1, but I think she was disappointed in the turnovers and getting the ball knocked out of her hands a little bit," said head coach Cheryl Reeve after the game. "She wanted to do better in those areas. She was impressive. Sylvia is the difference for us in terms of being able to put pressure on the inside."

Hopefully, Fowles will be a factor again this evening in the first Finals road game for Minnesota. The Lynx will also depend on their big three—Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus—to show up big.

Timberwolves News

It's finally that time of year again... Timberwolves basketball is back in session! The Wolves kicked off their preseason with a home game against Oklahoma City Wednesday night, and fell to the Thunder 122-99. Despite starting off with a loss, there were several performances from the game to feel positive about.

Nemanja Bjelica
Most surprising to me during Wednesday's game was the impact Nemanja Bjelica made on the evening. In his Wolves debut, Bjelica came off the bench to add 11 points, five rebounds and a steal in just over 20 minutes of playing time. The forward demonstrated a strong ability to read the floor, and he added a spark for the team that will certainly prove useful from the reserves.

"Bjelica moves the ball so well and isn't afraid to go to the rack and initiate contact. [He's] not a soft Euro," the Associated Press' Jon Krawczynski said via Twitter.

Gorgui Dieng
Gorgui Dieng got off to a good start to his third year in Minnesota. Dieng came off the bench against OKC, and he contributed 18 points, four rebounds and three assists while shooting 75 percent from the field. It will be interesting to see how Dieng will fit in this season with several big men on the roster, but he promises to be a solid reserve player at worst.

Karl-Anthony Towns
In his NBA debut, No. 1 overall Draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns looked confident and ready to roll. Towns started the game 4-4 from the field, and after four quarters he had tallied 18 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in 28 minutes on the floor. It's safe to say that no one felt too down about the rookie's performance—except maybe Towns himself.

It's exciting to see this kind of talent and drive from Towns in just a preseason game, and it's especially encouraging that he didn't seem intimidated at all by the transition to the pros.

I personally can't wait to see what the Wolves will get going with a revamped 2015-2016 roster. The team took yesterday off from practice but will have a workout today before traveling to Winnipeg for a six-day trip to Canada. The three game series will kick off Saturday night against Chicago.

Lindsey's Friday Flick Recommendation

If you're looking for a movie that's just creepy enough to be entertaining but isn't over the top, I'd like to recommend an older (2004) flick that I just watched for the first time.

The Forgotten

I don't know what it is about Julianne Moore, but she plays the eerie roles incredibly well. In this movie, Moore plays a mother who is mourning the loss of her 8-year-old son; except everyone tells her that she's imagining her son ever existing.

I don't want to give away any more of the plot, but if you haven't seen this one yet, give it a try! Check out the trailer below, and happy weekending!