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The Never-ending Wager?

Results through game of Mon, Mar 27, 2023

It has been a rough decade or so for these two franchises.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, Mike, and Steve.

Jeff, Mike, Steve, Joann, Tammy, and 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.

Jeff and me, standing near our seats on the baseline.

Program for 2004 Western Conference Semifinals.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.

Watching the game on TV.