>> Eric: THE TIMES ARE FIGHTING, LITERALLY, TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS, THE WILD START THEIR PLAYOFF RUN NEXT WEEK.

THE LYNX JUST COMPLETED A DRAFT THAT THE TEAM HOPES WILL LEAD TO PLAYOFFS IN THE FALL.

HERE TO TALK SPORTS, BROADCASTER AND SPORTSWRITER LARRY FITZGERALD SENIOR, YOU CAN HEAR IM ON HE RADIO DIAL AS PART OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING NETWORK.

THE ALWAYS TOUGH OKLAHOMA ITY THUNDER COME TO TOWN HERE TONIGHT.

THE BRAWLLING AND TOUGH TIMBERWOLVES, THEY SHOULD WIN TONIGHT, SHOULDN'T THEY?

>> WELL, THE TIMBERWOLVES STARTED THIS SEASON HERE IN TARGET CENTER AGAINST OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER, THEY BEAT THEM.

>> WITHOUT CHAD HOLM GREN, WE SHOULD SAY, THE LOCAL KID.

>> YEAH, AND I HOPE HE'LL BE SITTING COURTSIDE AND SOAKING IN COMING HOME, YOU KNOW.

HE'S HERE AND IN THE BIG TIME AND HE HAD A BAD INJURY AND THAT TYPE OF THING BUT NEXT YEAR THERE'S STILL A PROM OF PROMISING SITUATION.

>> Eric: RUDY GOBERT AND ANDERSON AND DANIELS.

>> Cathy: IT SEEMS SO JUNIOR HIGH.

>> I SAID THIS ON TWITTER TWO WEEKS AGO I WAS AS EXCITED ABOUT THIS TIME AND ITS PROSPECTS ONLY BECAUSE KARL ANTHONY TOWNS ISSED 52 GAMES AND YOU TRADE FOR RUDY GOBERT, FIVE NUMBER ONE PICKS AND FOUR PLAYERS YOU WANT TO PUT THAT MIX TOGETHER SO WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS TEAM'S OTENTIAL IS BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T HAD KART ALL YEAR.

BUT WE WERE SHOWING SOME SIGNS AND THIS MESS, FIGHTING AMONGST THEMSELVES AND THEN A PLAYER -- I NEVER HEARD OF A GUY BREAKING HIS OWN HAND BECAUSE HE WAS UPSET BUT, YOU KNOW, RUDY'S GOT A BACK DEAL, WE HOPE HE'LL BE ABLE TO PLAY TONIGHT BUT THEY HAVE TO WIN THIS GAME BECAUSE THIS FRANCHISE NEEDS TO PUT BACK TO BACK PLAYOFF TEAMS TOGETHER.

>> DIAMOND MILLER FOR THE LYNX, PRETTY GOOD PLAYER.

>> I'LL SAY.

YOU GET THE SECOND-BEST PLAYER IN A DRAFT AND JUST GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE LYNX HISTORY.

WHEN THEY GOT THE FIRST OVERALL PICK, GUESS WHAT?

FOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS FOLLOWED.

AND SO NUMBER TWO IS NOT THAT FAR AWAY, THEY GOT AN EXPERIENCED HALL OF FAME COACH AND SHE'S HUNGRY, SHE'S COACHING THE OLYMPIC TEAM.

I TELL YOU, I WAS THERE AT THE NEWS DEAL YESTERDAY.

EVEN PAIGE BUKERS CAME BACK TO TOWN JUST TO BE A PART OF THIS AND SHE'S STARTING HER OWN FOUNDATION.

BUT IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE SITUATION.

I HINK THE LYNX REALLY HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE.

>> Cathy: SAY, I WAS LURKING AND AT THAT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH THE VIKINGS AND YOU GOT TO ASK THE FIRST QUESTION, TALKING ABOUT THE NFL DRAFT AT THE END OF THE MONTH.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

>> WELL, I LEARNED THAT THE VIKINGS ARE TRYING TO BE TIGHT-LIPPED ABOUT A COUPLE TESTY SITUATIONS, YOU KNOW.

DALVIN COOK, HE'S THEIR BEST RUNNINGBACK, HE SIGNED A BIG DEAL A COUPLE YEARS AGO, OVER A THOUSAND YARDS LAST YEAR, YOU HAVE TO RUN THE BALL TO BE ABLE TO THROW THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD TO JUSTIN JEFFERSON, JEFFERSON'S LOOKING FOR THE BIG CONTRACT.

THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

BUT THE OTHER GUYS WANT TO HANG ONTO WHAT THEY HAVE.

THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP WHAT THEY HAVE JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE IS IN A POSITION TO MAKE MORE MONEY.

THE VIKINGS DON'T HAVE AS MANY DRAFT PICKS AS THEY DID LAST.

ONE THING HAT CONCERNED ME WAS LAST YEAR THEY WENT INTO A DRAFT AND TRADED WITHIN THE DIVISION TO DETROIT AND GREEN BAY.

THAT'S A NO-NO.

SO I'LL HOPE THEY'LL DO NONE OF THAT STUFF THIS YEAR EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE SHORT OF DRAFT PICKS BUT I DON'T THINK THEY'LL FINDQUARTERBACK IN THIS DRAFT.

>> Eric: TWINS OFF TO A GOOD START AND SPEED UP HE GAME STUFF I LIKE IT.

>> YEAH, I DO.

THE GAMES ARE PRETTY CONSISTENT AND, YOU KNOW, 30 MINUTES OF A GAME IS IMPORTANT.

YOU GOT TEAMS ADJUSTING THEIR BEER SALES TIMES NOW BECAUSE THEY SEE THE REVENUE THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE IN THAT AREA.

BUT, HEY, THE TWINS ARE LOOKING VERY GOOD.

STARTING PITCHING HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING AND IF IT KEEPS UP LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO, THEY GOT A GREAT CHANCE TO WIN THIS DIVISION >> Eric: HOW FAR CAN THE WILD GO?

>> I THINK THEY CAN GO A LONG WAY DEPENDING ON WHO THEY GET IN THE FIRST ROUND.

THEY MIGHT WIND UP WITH COLORADO.

I'VE NEVER SEEN A SITUATION WITH TWO TEAMS, TIMBERWOLVES, WILD, BOTH COMPLETED THEIR SEASONS AND THEY'RE ON THE CUSP OF THE PLAYOFFS AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHO THEY'RE GOING TO PLAY.

COLORADO IF THEY WIN TONIGHT THEN THE WILD WILL WIND UP HAVING TO PLAY DALLAS.

AND DALLAS IS A VERY, VERY TALENTED TEAM AND COULD BE A TOUGH MATCHUP FOR THEM.

>> Eric: GOT THE GOALTENDING STRAIGHTENED OUT?

IS IT GUSTAVSSON?

>> THEY WANT THIS TO BE GUST