For one of the few times this season, the Timberwolves game operations team didn’t have to pipe in music after the pregame introductions for the team’s coach. Instead, when public address announcer Shawn Parker said Ryan Saunders’ name, a loud ovation overtook Target Center as Saunders’ name was emblazoned on the scoreboard on another Prince-themed night.
The sellout crowd embraced Saunders, who is a nod to the franchise’s past through his father Flip, and, fans hope, the start of a future that once seemed bright when franchise cornerstones Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns first came to town.
It will be hard for the Wolves to top the drama and emotion of Tuesday’s win over Oklahoma City.