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What Alex Rodriguez said on surprise podcast appearance at Minneapolis brewery

Rodriguez recalls how the team felt after losing to Denver last season.

Tony Liebert

Apr 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Former baseball player Alex Rodriguez takes a selfie with
Apr 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Former baseball player Alex Rodriguez takes a selfie with / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
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Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore hosted a live episode of his podcast Thursday at Falling Knife Brewery in Minneapolis, and Alex Rodriguez stopped by as a guest.

Moore and Rodriguez talked about last year's opening-round series loss to Denver and how much the team was able to learn in the past 12+ months. With Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid out for that 2023 series with injuries, there was still a lot to like from the Wolves' performance.

"I go back to last year at this time when we played Denver and while we lost four to one you know meeting with [president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and head coach Chris Finch] at the end of the year we felt very encouraged," Rodriguez told Moore.

They continued to talk about this year's team, with Rodriguez notably mentioning that Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 technical fouls last season and this year he has zero. He noted how much emphasis they put on conditioning and how it's helped them become "one of the best-conditioned teams in the NBA."

Looking ahead to Game 3 on Friday night, Rodriguez compared the series to his Major League Baseball playing career and how important the game will be for the Timberwolves.

"I have always believed that the winner of Game 3 is the winner of the series," Rodriguez explained. "That's what [former Yankees manager] Joe Torre would always teach us, Game 3 and 5 are the most pivotal in a seven-game series."

Moore brought up the Wolves' defensive intensity – the No. 1 defensive team in the league – and Rodriguez compared it to his baseball career and how players like him and Twins legend Joe Mauer appreciate the Gold Glove awards more than batting titles.

Moore and Rodriguez didn't discuss the current ownership situation that has majority owner Glen Taylor attempting to maintain control after opting to sell the Timberwolves and Lynx to Marc Lore and Rodriguez.

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Tony Liebert

TONY LIEBERT