MINNEAPOLIS – Steph Curry spent most of Saturday the same way much of America did: watching television news coverage of the events in Minneapolis.
Curry was supposed to lead his Warriors against the host Timberwolves, but plans changed that afternoon.
The game was delayed 24 hours after an immigration officer shot and killed Alex Pretti a few miles from downtown and the Timberwolves requested a postponement for members of the organization to process the killing, and security measures at Target Center to be put in place in case of a protest or unrest.
Curry then spent the day at the team’s hotel in downtown Minneapolis, “glued to the TV.”
“There’s a lot of change that needs to happen, and when you’re here, you feel it,” Curry said after the Warriors’ 111-85 win Sunday.
Curry marveled at the thousands who braved the sub-zero elements on Friday and participated in a mass protest in Minneapolis against Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s occupation of the city. Watching from his hotel room, Curry said they had his full support.
“It was amazing to watch the turnout and the peaceful protests and the unified voice that was there,” Curry said, before somberly adding, “You feel that would kind of turn the tide into a more positive direction … and then you wake up and see what happened. So obviously, there was no need to have a game yesterday.”
Though he and coach Steve Kerr were in communication leading up to the postponement, Curry, who led the Warriors with 26 points Sunday, downplayed his involvement in the decision.
Hundreds protested again Sunday outside Target Center a few hours before the rescheduled tipoff, but the Warriors’ victory went on without interruption.
Minnesota scored the game’s first basket, then did not lead the rest of the afternoon. Only a run late in the second quarter to make it a one-point game at halftime brought vibrancy to a crowd with bigger concerns.
Kerr, who spoke at length about the situation pregame, took no joy in the victory.
“The vibe in the stands, it was one of the most bizarre, sad games I’ve ever been a part of,” Kerr said. “You could feel the somber atmosphere, and their team, we could tell they were struggling with everything going on and with what the city has been through. It was sad. It was a sad night.”
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 32 points and 11 rebounds, but he had eight of his team’s 25 turnovers as the Wolves struggled to find their footing all game.
Moses Moody, who had 19 points and eight rebounds in the win, said he did not want to watch the video of Pretti being shot, but that he and the team had discussed what was happening in the city when they arrived on Friday.
“It’s tough being here, up close and personal, with everything going on,” Moody said. “Preparing for a game and just being in it yesterday, it’s definitely heavy.”
He could see the protests that brought thousands to the streets of Minneapolis on Friday night, and after the game was postponed on Saturday, could feel the “weight of the city” in the crowd during Sunday’s blowout.
Unlike most towns, where players go out on an off day, Brandin Podziemski said the players did a “lot of activities indoors … being amongst ourselves with stuff being outside, trying to stay inside.”
Both Moody and Podziemski, who had 12 points, made note of the anti-ICE chants that reverberated around the arena at multiple points before and during the game, but neither expressed an opinion on the situation.
“Not much energy, as expected, and people voicing their opinions about what’s going on,” he said. “It was pretty dead.”
Curry, who is questionable for tomorrow’s game with a sore knee, expressed optimism that Minneapolis will be able to move past this tumultuous time.
“Hopefully, the community comes together and the right decisions are made so there’s more of a peaceful environment here,” he said.
