The Never-ending Wager?
Results through game of Mon, Mar 27, 2023
Wolves lead series 31-28
Jeff owes Steve - $300
Years ago when our favorite NBA teams were relevant---perennial playoff teams featuring hall-of-famers Kevin Garnett and Chris Webber---my good friend Jeff and I had a standing five dollar bet on each game between the two. We renewed the bet year after year without paying any attention to the money.
At some point in 2008 or so, Jeff suggested we up the bet to $100 per game and keep track starting (retroactively) with the 2005/06 season. This bold idea may or may not have occurred over a couple of glasses of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
A lot of mediocre basketball has been played since then---and those were the good games. Prosperity is just around the corner for at least one of the teams. The Timberwolves, for sure.
Below is a game-by-game list of results and a running account of monies owed (you will see it is usually me on the debit side of the ledger). This page will be auto-updated on the morning after each new game. Click on individual game results to see box scores. (Pro tip: scroll past the game log to find a series of related photographs and memories.)
Game-by-game
Sun, Dec 4, 2005 | @Sac | Wolves 85-77 | Steve $+100 |
Tue, Dec 13, 2005 | @Min | Kings 93-91 | |
Sun, Mar 19, 2006 | @Min | Wolves 95-89 | Steve $+100 |
Mon, Nov 6, 2006 | @Sac | Kings 93-81 | |
Wed, Jan 31, 2007 | @Min | Kings 100-98 | Jeff $+100 |
Wed, Mar 21, 2007 | @Sac | Wolves 95-89 | |
Sat, Nov 10, 2007 | @Sac | Kings 100-93 | Jeff $+100 |
Wed, Nov 14, 2007 | @Min | Wolves 108-103 | |
Fri, Mar 7, 2008 | @Sac | Wolves 111-103 | Steve $+100 |
Fri, Nov 7, 2008 | @Sac | Kings 121-109 | |
Mon, Dec 15, 2008 | @Sac | Kings 118-103 | Jeff $+100 |
Wed, Apr 15, 2009 | @Min | Kings 97-90 | Jeff $+200 |
Sat, Dec 12, 2009 | @Sac | Kings 120-100 | Jeff $+300 |
Fri, Dec 18, 2009 | @Min | Wolves 112-96 | Jeff $+200 |
Sun, Mar 14, 2010 | @Sac | Kings 114-100 | Jeff $+300 |
Wed, Mar 31, 2010 | @Min | Wolves 108-99 | Jeff $+200 |
Wed, Nov 10, 2010 | @Sac | Wolves 98-89 | Jeff $+100 |
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 | @Min | Kings 127-95 | Jeff $+200 |
Mon, Jan 16, 2012 | @Min | Wolves 99-86 | Jeff $+100 |
Tue, Feb 7, 2012 | @Min | Wolves 86-84 | |
Sun, Mar 18, 2012 | @Sac | Kings 115-99 | Jeff $+100 |
Mon, Apr 2, 2012 | @Sac | Kings 116-108 | Jeff $+200 |
Tue, Nov 27, 2012 | @Sac | Wolves 97-89 | Jeff $+100 |
Thu, Mar 21, 2013 | @Sac | Kings 101-98 | Jeff $+200 |
Wed, Jan 15, 2014 | @Min | Kings 111-108 | Jeff $+300 |
Sat, Mar 1, 2014 | @Sac | Wolves 108-97 | Jeff $+200 |
Sun, Mar 16, 2014 | @Min | Wolves 104-102 | Jeff $+100 |
Sun, Apr 13, 2014 | @Sac | Kings 106-103 | Jeff $+200 |
Sat, Nov 22, 2014 | @Min | Kings 113-101 | Jeff $+300 |
Thu, Jan 1, 2015 | @Min | Kings 110-107 | Jeff $+400 |
Tue, Apr 7, 2015 | @Sac | Kings 116-111 | Jeff $+500 |
Fri, Nov 27, 2015 | @Sac | Wolves 101-91 | Jeff $+400 |
Fri, Dec 18, 2015 | @Min | Wolves 99-95 | Jeff $+300 |
Wed, Mar 23, 2016 | @Min | Wolves 113-104 | Jeff $+200 |
Thu, Apr 7, 2016 | @Sac | Wolves 105-97 | Jeff $+100 |
Sat, Oct 29, 2016 | @Sac | Kings 106-103 | Jeff $+200 |
Fri, Dec 23, 2016 | @Min | Kings 109-105 | Jeff $+300 |
Mon, Feb 27, 2017 | @Sac | Wolves 102-88 | Jeff $+200 |
Sat, Apr 1, 2017 | @Min | Kings 123-117 | Jeff $+300 |
Thu, Dec 14, 2017 | @Min | Wolves 119-96 | Jeff $+200 |
Sun, Feb 11, 2018 | @Min | Wolves 111-106 | Jeff $+100 |
Mon, Feb 26, 2018 | @Sac | Wolves 118-100 | |
Fri, Nov 9, 2018 | @Sac | Kings 121-110 | Jeff $+100 |
Wed, Dec 12, 2018 | @Sac | Kings 141-130 | Jeff $+200 |
Mon, Dec 17, 2018 | @Min | Wolves 132-105 | Jeff $+100 |
Mon, Feb 25, 2019 | @Min | Wolves 112-105 | |
Thu, Dec 26, 2019 | @Sac | Wolves 105-104 | Steve $+100 |
Mon, Jan 27, 2020 | @Min | Kings 133-129 | |
Mon, Feb 3, 2020 | @Sac | Kings 113-109 | Jeff $+100 |
Mon, Apr 5, 2021 | @Min | Wolves 116-106 | |
Tue, Apr 21, 2021 | @Sac | Wolves 134-120 | Steve $+100 |
Wed, Apr 22, 2021 | @Sac | Kings 128-125 | |
Wed, Nov 17, 2021 | @Min | Wolves 107-97 | Steve $+100 |
Tue, Feb 8, 2022 | @Sac | Wolves 134-114 | Steve $+200 |
Wed, Feb 9, 2022 | @Sac | Kings 132-119 | Steve $+100 |
Sat, Jan 28, 2023 | @Min | Wolves 117-110 | Steve $+200 |
Mon, Jan 30, 2023 | @Min | Kings 118-111 | Steve $+100 |
Sat, Mar 4, 2023 | @Sac | Wolves 138-134 | Steve $+200 |
Mon, Mar 27, 2023 | @Sac | Wolves 119-115 | Steve $+300 |
—
Jeff and our mutual friend Mike visited the Twin Cities in 2017 for what could only be described as “Three Old Fools Day” weekend. We took in the Kings-Wolves game (Apr 1, 2017) at the Target Center in the company of Joann, daughter Tam and son-in-law Nick.
Jeff and I saw a game together in 2010 in Sacramento (Kings vs Grizzlies, Dec 29, 2010). Tyreke Evans hit a buzzer-beating half-court three-point shot to lift the Kings to an improbable two-point win. Kings’ owner Gavin Maloof treated everyone in our row to a beer.
Joann and I were at the Target Center for the biggest win in Timberwolves’ history, a thrilling game seven of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Kings (May 19, 2004).
Joann and I joined Jeff, his wife Mary, and our friends Mike and Grace at a Sacramento sports bar to see the Timberwolves lose to the Kings in 2001 (Dec 28, 2001). Rasho Nesterovic had one his best games as a Timberwolf that night and on the following morning I stood next to him as we each checked out of Sacramento’s Hyatt hotel. I was able to congratulate him on his performance and to verify that he is indeed quite tall.