Jazz 128, Wolves 116: Shorthanded Wolves Come up ... Short

Well, that was a basketball game! Honestly, given the fact that the Wolves were down seven players including Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, it was hard to ask for a whole lot more of the Wolves than we got tonight.

They needed Malik Beasley to come in ready to make shots, and boy did he ever. Beasley was the most consistent scoring option for the Wolves, making 7 of 16 threes on his way to 33 points. For the most part, he looked like 2020-21 Malik Beasley. Who knows if that will continue moving forward, but it sure was a nice sign.

Really, though, Minnesota was without so many players that it’s really difficult to try to make any grand statements or draw any conclusions.

The Wolves, severely undermanned, played hard and competed. They were nearly 15-point underdogs, so remaining competitive is all you can really ask for. I think it’s clear that Chris Finch had his team ready to play and ready to fight.

Kudos to this undermanned group for making what could have been a very, very boring night a bit more entertaining.

The Wolves just desperately need to get healthy, and we can (hopefully) expect at least Anthony Edwards back on Monday.

Anyways, in the holiday spirit, here’s my personal Mount Rushmore of Christmas movies, in no particular order, for a variety of reasons.

1. Home Alone 2

Tough to pick between Home Alone & Home Alone 2, but this one had the second screen tonight during the game, so it gets a spot almost entirely due to recency bias.

2. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas — Jim Carrey Edition

Jim Carrey is a wonderful Grinch, but his dog, Max, steals the show. Who needs nine reindeer when you have a dog.

3. Elf

“I passed through seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel.”

4. It’s A Wonderful Life

I promise I’m not 75.

Honorable Mention: A Charlie Brown Christmas