As someone who has experienced and observed Minnesota sports for the better part of my lifetime, I should have known better than to dare imagine that the good times would last.
When Saturday night arrives, pain of Timberwolves' loss will be fresh again
Target Center would have been a sight to behold. Now, we'll have to wait and see.
April 22, 2022 at 5:26PM
When the Timberwolves took a 47-21 lead on the Grizzlies in the second quarter of Thursday's Game 3 — the first Wolves playoff game at Target Center in four years, and just their second playoff series since 2004 — I permitted myself to think ahead two nights.
If you thought this Target Center crowd was rocking and loud — which it was — imagine what Saturday night could bring?
I turned to Star Tribune sports editor Chris Carr and said something to the effect of: "If the Wolves can close this game out, think about what it would be like Saturday, for a 9 p.m. tip, when fans have all day to party, then come into the building with a chance to go up 3-1."
The word "if" was definitely part of the construction. Because with Minnesota sports, you just never know when things can come crashing down.
They fell hard on Thursday, not once but twice: That 47-21 lead was reduced to 51-44 by halftime. It swelled again to 25 points late in the third quarter, only to be reduced to rubble by a 37-12 fourth quarter Memphis advantage and a 104-95 final.
You've likely read plenty by now about the collapse, where it might rank in Minnesota sports history, what we should make of Karl-Anthony Towns only getting four shot attempts, and several other worthy angles. I talked about all of these things and more on Friday's Daily Delivery podcast.
Wolves players and coach Chris Finch were more upbeat than they perhaps had a reason to be on Thursday, insisting that the loss was both part of the learning process and that there were plenty of positives to take from it.
Maybe athletes have shorter memories and momentum 48 hours later is a myth. We will see.
Just as we are left to wonder what sort of effort the Wolves will muster in Game 4, with a chance to still make this a series even as they know they missed a real chance to take control of it, the same can be said of Saturday's home crowd.
What would have been an electric atmosphere will probably be more muted, with fans conserving energy as a hedge against being hurt again.
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That's Minnesota sports.
One thing that won't happen Saturday: Looking ahead and wondering what the atmosphere might be like for Game 6, no matter how big a Wolves lead gets.
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