Wolves Win, Wild Clinch Playoff Berth

The Timberwolves earned an upset win against the Utah Jazz, the Wild won their seventh straight game and secured a spot in the playoffs, and the Twins failed to get much offense going in a loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. Local collegiate baseball and softball teams had a mostly successful day as well. Between St. Cloud State, St. John's, and St. Ben's, three teams earned doubleheader sweeps and one was swept.

- The Wolves put on a strong defensive performance that led to a 101-96 win over the Jazz. Karl-Anthony Towns led the team with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Anthony Edwards finished with 23 points and nine rebounds, and D'Angelo Russell added 23 points and three rebounds. Minnesota improves to 17-44, while Utah falls to 44-16. The two teams will face off at Target Center on Monday night. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

- The Wild opened up a 3-0 lead in the first period, never giving up their advantage on the way to a 6-3 win over the Sharks. It was an all-around team effort with goals made by Nick Bonino, Kevin Fiala, Jared Spurgeon, Marcus Foligno, Kirill Kaprizov, and Ryan Suter. Kaapo Kähkönen made 27 saves and allowed three goals. The Wild improve to 31-13-3 and will return home to host the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. Pre-game coverage starts at 5:45 p.m. on AM 1390 and 93.9 FM Granite City Sports.

- The Twins were unable to earn back-to-back wins, losing to the Pirates 6-2 and bringing the series to 1-1. Jorge Polanco and Jake Cave each scored runs for Minnesota. Michael Pineda recorded his first loss since 2019, throwing for five strikeouts, six hits, and four runs. The Twins fall to 7-12 and the Pirates improve to 10-11. The two teams will conclude the series with game three on Sunday. Pre-game coverage begins at 12:00 p.m. on AM 1240 and 95.3 FM WJON.

- The St. Cloud State baseball team swept the University of Minnesota - Crookston on Saturday. The Huskies shut out the Golden Eagles 9-0 in game one, and took game two 8-1. Paul Steffensen and Jake Shusterich each had three runs on the day. Max Gamm added two runs. Matt Osterberg and Trevor Koenig combined for 23 strikeouts, three hits, and one run. SCSU head coach Pat Dolan also recorded his 500th win. The Huskies improve to 14-10 and will host Crookston again on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

- The St. Cloud State softball team came up short in both games in their doubleheader against Winona State University. The Huskies fell to the Warriors 5-4 and 3-1. Jasmin Estrada, Megan Conrads, Raven Vanden Langenberg, Cassie Francesconi, and Maya Keating each scored a run for SCSU. The Huskies fall to 18-12 and will host Upper Iowa in a doubleheader Sunday.

- The St. John's University baseball team topped Carleton College 5-3 and 12-2. Owen Dauk led the way for SJU with four runs on the day. Nathan Brandecker and Kody Dalen combined for 13 strikeouts, 13 hits, and five runs. The Johnnies improve to 19-8 and will close out the series against Carleton on Monday.

- The College of St. Benedict softball team also earned a sweep on Saturday, beating St. Kate's 14-0 and 8-0. Jordyn Swoboda, Lexi Hanson, and Tori Harren each earned three runs on the day. Elly Novak threw for eight strikeouts and four hits on her way to breaking the club's single-season strikeout record of 129 set in 2007. Novak's total currently sits at 135 with six games remaining in the regular season. The Bennies improve to 21-5 and will travel to Macalester to play a doubleheader on Sunday.

The 25 Best Places to Live in Minnesota

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Minnesota using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.