The Timberwolves' first playoff game of 2024 felt strangely like a culmination. As if that game and this series were a reward for the front office's planning and risks, and the coaching staff's constant adaptability, and a yearlong outpouring of passion and relative optimism from a jaded fan base.
Justin Jefferson and Adrian Peterson sat courtside, signing autographs and playing to the camera. Alex Rodriguez, wearing a SMedium sweater so tight you could see his spleen, approached Peterson, probably to give him advice on how not to purchase a sports franchise.
Former Wolves watched from a suite.