After beating Knicks, Timberwolves give back at Second Harvest Heartland
Timberwolves' Mike Conley Jr. after 10th win
Minnesota Timberwolves' Mike Conley Jr. spoke with FOX 9's Pierre Noujaim after Monday's win. They discussed how the Wolves pulled away from the Knicks with a great third quarter performance, as well as if Conley is surprised with how well the Wolves season is going thus far.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Timberwolves are playing some of the best basketball the franchise has seen in decades.
Monday night, they beat the New York Knicks 117-100 at Target Center to improve to 10-3 on the season. That’s the best record in the Western Conference, and just a half game behind the Boston Celtics for the best record in the NBA.
The Timberwolves are 6-0 on their home court, and Chris Finch is now the coach with the most wins in franchise history with a .523 win percentage. Monday night also marked their 10th win in 11 games.
"I felt we had it in us for sure to start the way we did," guard Mike Conley Jr. said after Monday’s win. "I honestly thought we could’ve been a little bit better, but I’m excited that we’ve not let that get to our head at all. We’re just locked in on the next game and the task at hand."
Tuesday, the entire coaching staff and several team employees were at Second Harvest Heartland in Brooklyn Center, doing their part to try and make sure Minnesotans don’t go hungry. It’s a particularly important time to give back as families gather this week for Thanksgiving meals.
Timberwolves and Lynx owner Alex Rodriguez joined in on the volunteering as well. He said Glen and Becky Taylor told him two top priorities when he got invested in the team: Keep it in Minnesota forever, and give back to the community. Rodriguez noted he came from humble beginnings, including his father leaving when he was 10 years old and his mother having to work multiple jobs to support the family.
"This is really important. This is just like winning many, many games. Just to think one out of every eight Minnesotans suffers from hunger or has fear of hunger, we’re just doing our part and we want this to be a big part of what we do in Minnesota," Rodriguez said. "This is as important as anything we do on the court, probably more important because we do have a responsibility that goes far beyond wins and losses."
In one hour of work Tuesday, the Timberwolves packed bags of potatoes that will go to families in need. They filled 166 bags, packed 6,723 pounds of food that equates to 5,603 meals. There were 280 meals packed per person.
It’s a cause that’s been personal for Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, who is also on the Second Harvest Heartland board.
"It’s a universal need and everybody needs the basics to be their best self. When you worry about your next meal, it’s no way to live," Finch said. "This is something that ever since I’ve been involved, our staff, our organization has backed our efforts in it. It brings to light the greatest needs."