At one point in Golden State’s win over the Timberwolves on Sunday at Target Center, Warriors coach Steve Kerr leaned toward a Wolves player and said, “I’m sorry.”
Not for the Warriors play or the win, but for the circumstances. Sunday’s game was played roughly 30 hours after Alex Pretti was shot numerous times and killed on the street by federal immigration officers, just two miles from Target Center. Saturday’s game was postponed 24 hours, but the lingering effects were palpable in the arena.
“I thought that was a ghost of a performance by us,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said following the 111-85 point defeat.
“I couldn’t have said it any better,” guard Donte DiVincenzo said.
It was another loss for Minnesota — the team’s fifth straight heading into Monday’s rematch with the Warriors. But this one was different than the previous four, all of which were competitive down to the final buzzer. Sunday’s performance was, as Wolves forward Julius Randle originally noted, “lifeless” before quickly catching himself.
“Terrible choice of words,” he noted.
Everyone knew what he meant.
“No energy to what we’re doing,” he said. “No purpose. No passion.”
From players or fans. The arena was subdued throughout, even when Minnesota closed the first half strong to pull within a point. Finch is usually stalking the sidelines, getting into the ears of officials nearly every time down the floor. He remained seated for much of the affair. The same was true for Kerr.
Nothing about the setting felt appropriate.
“I thought the vibe in the stands was one of the most bizarre, sad games that I’ve ever been a part of,” Kerr said. “You can feel the somber atmosphere. Their team, we could tell they were struggling with everything that’s been going on and what the city has been going through. It was very sad. It was a very sad night.
“Obviously, we got the win and we’re happy about that, but very difficult to see so many people struggling and sad.”
Players privately noted they’d spent the day and a half ahead of the game doing the same thing as most people in the city — scrolling their phones, watching numerous different angles of a man being shot to death all while trying to gain information about what happened and answers of what’s to come. All while being unsure of how to respond.
Randle described himself as “not political at all,” but that won’t keep anyone’s stomach from turning at such a sight, particularly when it takes place in your community.
“There’s a human aspect to it. For me. I have kids. I have family. For me, the job as a man is to be a protector of the house,” Randle said. “When you see things like that, obviously it’s tough. It’s hard to stomach those things. I’m not political at all. I don’t get into any of that stuff, but it’s tough, regardless of whatever is going on. Somebody loses their life; you never want to see that.
“From the minute I’ve been here, Minneapolis has been great to me. The fans, the community have been really behind me. Everyone. Neighbors that I live by, community I live in, the school my son goes to, just everything. Been nothing but a joy living here. So, things like this happening in the community, it’s tough. I don’t like seeing it.”
Kerr noted fans likely came to Sunday’s game in an attempt to briefly “forget about stuff, I guess.” Wolves players desperately wanted to be that distraction, that source of rallying and joy in the instant wake of tragedy.
“I think we give a lot of purpose to the city, a lot of excitement, a lot of joy, entertainment,” Randle said. “We play a huge role, in how the city is viewed, how we go out there and play. I think tonight was not a great representation of that.”
But it was apparent moments into the game that players simply weren’t ready themselves to provide a release for others.
“Certainly,” Finch said, “the mood was off from the beginning.”
The Wolves will try again Monday to move in a positive direction for themselves, and their fans. It’s the only path forward.
“Your heart and your thoughts are with the family going through that tragedy,” DiVincenzo said. “But that’s not an excuse (for our performance). I think, if anything, sometimes that brings a community together more, and we need to stay together as a community, as a team, and just push through … these dark days. Because there’s a lot bigger things than basketball, but what we can control right now is our basketball and our energy.”
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