Steve Kerr describes ‘sombre atmosphere’ against Timberwolves

With Minneapolis in mourning and angerthe basketball stuff was the least important thing in the relationship Golden State Warriors‘ 111-85 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In a game postponed the day before because of the slaying of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretty, involving federal immigration officials, what stood out more than Stephen Curry’s 26 points and high-arcing 3-pointers, more than Anthony Edwards’ usual offensive brilliance in Purple Rain, was more than Jimmy’s first post-Jimmy jerseys, but also more than Jimmy. gloomy atmosphere of the stadium.

After winning, head coach Steve Kerr described the somber scene from the Target Center.

“Honestly, I felt their group was suffering,” Kerr said Fr team and Timberwolves fans.

“I thought the atmosphere in the stands, it was one of the weirdest, saddest games I’ve ever been in. There’s a somber atmosphere. Their team, you could tell, was struggling with everything that was going on, with what the city was going through. It was very sad. It was a sad night. Obviously, we got the win, and we’re very happy to see it, but we’re very happy to see it.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents occupied Minneapolis for weeks, creating widespread turmoil and chaos in the city. Earlier this month, ICE agents shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good as she walked away from a group of officers, leading to mass protests across the country and a statewide general strike in Minnesota.

And just two weeks later, multiple DHS officers forced Pretty to the ground and fired about 10 fatal shots into him, according to a video analysis conducted by The New York Times and other news outlets.

“It was just quiet,” Brandin Podziemski said. “There’s not a lot of energy, as expected, people giving their opinion on what’s going on. … it was pretty dead.”

Player reactions to the game

With the Timberwolves understandably struggling with their city in crisis, basketball felt secondary all night. Sure enough, the T-Wolves turned the ball over 26 times, and sure enough, the Warriors outscored them 38-17 in the third quarter.

But both teams had their minds elsewhere as protests continued throughout the city and just outside the Target Center.

“You definitely felt the weight of the city,” Moses Moody said after the game. “I couldn’t imagine too many times where that group, that many people, were together in the middle of a situation like this.”

On the other hand, Timberwolves great Julius Randle expressed how the turmoil in Minneapolis has affected him personally.

“Regardless of politics, there’s a human aspect,” Randle said. “For me, I have kids, I have a family. For me, it’s my job as a man to be the protector of the house. You see things like that, and obviously, it’s hard, it’s hard to take things like that … no matter what happens. When someone loses their life, you never want to see that.

From the moment I’ve been here, Minneapolis has been great to me. The fans and (the) community were really behind me. Everyone, the neighbors, the community I live in, the school my son goes to, everything, since I’ve been here has been nothing but joy, so… it’s hard.”

The Wolves and Warriors will face off tomorrow for the final leg of this back-to-back.

Other remarks

• With running backs Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton on strict policy, they won’t be available for Monday night’s rematch. Kerr said he doesn’t know if Curry will be available, but he’s hopeful.
• Jonathan Kuminga will be sidelined as an MRI revealed a bruised knee from a hyperextension he suffered against Dallas.
• Golden State’s 20 steals are a league record this season. They won by a 12-t0-26 turnover margin.
• Golden State is 1.5 games behind the T-Wolves in seventh place in the West. 2.0 games behind the Suns for sixth and 2.5 games behind the Lakers for fifth.