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The moment is unforgettable. With two minutes to go in the Timberwolves’ Jan. 1 matchup against the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center, rookie Ricky Rubio displayed a hint of early-season magic that would become almost expected throughout the 2011-12 season at Target Center.
With the Wolves up 95-82 and two minutes left on the clock, Rubio drove to the basket, placed a seemingly impossible bounce pass in between Dirk Nowitzki’s legs and found an open Anthony Tolliver on the baseline for a game-sealing 3-pointer. Running back to Minnesota’s bench, Tolliver’s ear-to-ear grin as the Target Center crowd erupted said it all:
The magic is back.
“It’s just one of those, like, I wouldn’t say out of body moments, but it’s euphoric,” Tolliver said. “You know they’re not just cheering for you. They’re cheering for your team and the guys on your squad.”
There were plenty of those moments this season for Wolves fans to enjoy—from Luke Ridnour's buzzer-beating floater against Utah on Feb. 22 to countless Rubio alley-oop passes. For a team coming off 32 combined wins in its previous two years, the 2011-12 campaign marked a return to relevance—a jump back into national and international conversations.
And it all really begins with the feeling inside Target Center each night. The Timberwolves’ sellout against Oklahoma City last Saturday was the team’s 11th of the season in 30 home games. That’s the most Minnesota has drawn since selling out 14 times during the 2003-04 season.
The change is noticeable—a shift in electricity on game night that prompted Wolves players to deem their fans the team’s sixth man. (Related story: Wolves to say 'Thank You' to fans at Fan Appreciation Night on Thursday, April 26 vs. Denver)