So here’s a new thing I thought I’d try—a weekly post reliving a moment from the Wolves past. I was thinking about calling it “Throwback Thursday,” but two things stopped me from doing so:
First, I stole this idea from the excellent Stars and Stripes FC, the SB Nation blog for the U.S. national soccer teams, and they call theirs Throwback Thursday. I wanted to steal the idea, but I didn’t want to be too obnoxious about it.
Second, knowing me, it won’t actually happen on Thursdays every week.
Hence, Remember When....
Anywho, I figure it like this: The Wolves have mostly been terrible through their history, but even so, there have been plenty of inspiring/exciting/fun moments, and we should remember them when we feel bogged down by the current state of the franchise.
We’re gonna start with one of the most unexpectedly fun games in Wolves history: Corey Brewer going for 51 against the Rockets late in the 2013-14 season. This was a frustrating season in that it was the best Wolves team in years, but they just had terrible luck in close games. It was Kevin Love’s last season in Minnesota, and it was pretty clear by the time this game was played that he was out the door.
Love didn’t play in this game, leading to this starting lineup: Ricky Rubio, Corey Brewer, Robbie Hummel, Dante Cunningham, and Gorgui Dieng. Wow.
This was Corey at, obviously, his absolute best. He spent most of that season leaking out, receiving outlets from Love and Rubio, but this night he was everywhere. Much of it took place in transition, where the Rockets couldn’t deal with him. It was a magical night when Brewer, for once in his career, simply couldn’t miss. The Wolves wound up hanging on for an exciting 112-110 win over the Houston Rockets.
This was obviously unusual for Brew, who so frequently had trouble converting with any consistency. Mike D’Antoni tells a great story about Brewer, who, after missing at the rim, came back to the bench and told D’Antoni: “I got to the basket, but then I ran out of talent.”
That was the story of most of Corey Brewer’s admirable career, but not on the night of April 11th, 2014. Here’s a happy Brew talking after the game:
I hope you enjoy Remember When....