According to Chris Haynes of TNT and Yahoo Sports, the players gathered to discuss strategy and talk about playing with a sense of urgency.
Ahead of Friday night’s crucial Game 6, reports were swirling of a players-only meeting conducted by Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The players gathered together following a team film session conducted by head coach Chris Finch, sources said.
Players watched additional film among themselves, challenged each other to play with urgency and to play the right way as well as stressed the importance of moving the ball, sources said. The Timberwolves left the practice facility Wednesday believing they can win two straight games, a player told Yahoo Sports.
It was an encouraging sign for Wolves fans, who are watching their team compete in the playoffs for the first time in years.
But, apparently, the players-only meeting never actually happened. If you ask Karl-Anthony Towns, it was nothing more than a routine film session.
“No. We had a film session, just as a team. Ok. What happened there? See this is why I don’t look at Twitter and sh*t, bro. Y’all be making up sh*t at any time, bro. I don’t know what the hell happened. Alright, yeah, we watched film, we had practice yesterday. I guess that’s a players only meeting. Yeah, we had practice.”
Whatever happened between Tuesday and Friday, the Wolves will have their hands full trying to keep their season alive. Against a tough and hungry Grizzlies squad, they will likely have to play a nearly flawless game to force a Game 7, and they’ll have to do it all over again in Memphis if they want to actually win the series.
The odds are certainly stacked against them, but it’s still not wise to count out the Timberwolves completely. With a talented roster of passionate players, they will fight tooth and nail to avoid being sent home.
No matter who you’re rooting for, that kind of competitive spirit is what drives a Championship run.
