Basketball was played in Minneapolis on Sunday, Jan. 25, but the atmosphere surrounding Golden State’s 111-85 victory over Minnesota was unlike any game those in attendance ever experienced.
Originally scheduled to be nationally televised on Saturday, it was postponed for 24 hours after federal agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti earlier that morning not far from the Timberwolves’ home arena.
‘I thought the vibe in the stands was one of the most bizarre, sad games I’ve ever been a part of,’ Warriors coach Steve Kerr said afterward. ‘Their team … We could tell they were struggling with everything that’s been going on and what the city has been through. It was very sad. It was a sad night.’
Before the game, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch fought through tears as he reflected on the city’s second deadly interaction between agents and residents this month.
‘As an organization, we are heartbroken for what we are having to witness and endure and watch,’ Finch said. ‘We just want to extend our thoughts, prayers and concern for Mr. Pretti, (his) family, all the loved ones and everyone involved in such an unconscionable situation in a community that we really love, full of people who are, by nature, peaceful and prideful. We just stand in support of our great community here.’
Both Finch and Kerr said they discussed the situation with their players and everyone agreed with the decision to postpone the game on Saturday.
Emotions were still raw throughout the community as thousands of sign-carrying protesters marched in freezing conditions outside Target Center before the game shouting ‘ICE out! ICE out!’
And inside, several members of the trampoline dunk team wore shirts that also said ‘ICE OUT’ in block capital letters.
‘I know there’s a lot of heavy hearts,’ said Warriors star guard Stephen Curry, who scored 26 points in the win and moved into 20th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
‘A lot of things – especially (for) this Minneapolis community (Saturday) – was rough. It’s been rough. … You can kind of feel it when we got here two days ago. The protests that were going on downtown, it was amazing to watch the turnout, and peaceful protests, the unified voice that was here. You feel like that would kind of turn the tide to a more positive direction, and then, you wake up in the morning, and you see what happened.’