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With the season on the line, the Wolves and their fans have never been more fired up.
To take a phrase from one of those stomach churning, "gag me" Kobe Bryant Sprite commercials - "Thank You". Not because you booed me when I acted like a selfish moron in the All-Star Game last year, but because once again you've lost faith in the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves, who were considered only a few days ago to be the NBA's Messiahs, rising from post-season chokers into giant-killers, are once again expected to make another first round exit. Once again the public has bought into the hype of Bill Walton's gushing monologues. Once again the masses have fallen under the influence of sports writers who refuse to take a risk and pick the underdog. And once again, they're all going to be proved wrong...
Give me one instance this season of when this team has failed to win when their backs were really up against the wall? Every time their honor has been placed on the line, they've come back with a dominating performance to silence the critics. So why is it that in Game 6, when the stakes are at their absolute highest, that everyone has turned their backs once again? This team has survived more challenges than any other team in this league. Despite the fact that at times it's felt like our hearts have been ripped out and thrown to the floor, they've managed to keep beating stronger. There's been one man on this whole squad that's avoided injury this and played every game. And in facing of all the criticism that he wasn't man enough to carry a team alone, he racked up a franchise record 51 wins. So keep on doubting. Continue to be sucked in by the hype. You're just creating a spark...
If it's possible to have a "good" playoff loss, we had one on Sunday. I can't possibly imagine a better way lose a game than how we did in Games 4 and 5. The media's having a field day with this one. Magic Johnson and Charles Barkely are feeling all that more confident in the KG criticisms since the Big Ticket choked on the free throw line. Marc Stein keeps yapping about how Garnett's comment that "If we win this game, it's all over." has jeopardized the Wolves playoff chances. Everyone's forgotten that the last time we were blown out at home, we won the next two. "Thank You". Thank you for continuing to pile on the insults. Thank you for turning your backs on the game's greatest player once again. Because I think we all remember what happened the last time you all decided to run your mouth and bash KG - a fourth consecutive year of 20-10-5, an All-Star Game MVP award, and home court advantage for the first time ever! Do you even think for a moment that he's not going to come out so charged, so focused, that he's going to drop one of the biggest games of his career on the Lakers and shove those insults right back down your throats? You're just creating a spark...
Keep talking about Wally's struggles. Keep bringing up the poor shooting. Keep mentioning all the turnovers. Have you even considered that fact that now that Fox won't be yanking his jersey all game like a fairy, that Wally is going to be draining the most three's this side of Miami of Ohio's Sweet Sixteen run? You're just creating a spark...
Go on bashing Flip's decision to sit Hudson in the fourth quarter of Game 4. Attack his coaching style. Keep on bringing up the fact that the man who's never been to the second round is matching wits with a man that's won 24 consecutive series. Cause you've overlooked the fact that the man who's been knocked down six times in a row has formulated an incredible game plan, while the legend has been knee-deep cleaning up the crap caused by his day-care gone bad. You're just creating a spark...
And while you're at it, don't forget to mention how Shaq managed to tear apart Rasho, who up until then had owned the paint. Bring up all the second chance points we gave up. Keep on talking about how Joe Smith is washed up. Cause you're just creating more sparks...
Everyone thinks that the Wolves are running scared. They think that even though we've managed to cut the Russian, now we're the team that's bleeding. But when you've been knocked down and spit on like we have, you've got too many scars to bleed. Oh we've been hurt by that loss for sure, and we're leaking. But it's not fear, or blood. The Timberwolves are leaking gasoline. All that anger, all that frustration that's been building up for seven years is going is going to be the fuel that brings us to the next level. And all that smack that you've talked, and all the doubts you've felt have just been throwing sparks at the ever-spreading pool. So go ahead and count us out. Start the discusions about a seventh consecutive first round exit. Cause there's a pack of twelve starving wolves who have been waiting to turn all your sparks into a firestorm.
"Thank You."
One Series, One Game, One Play - "ONE SHOT"
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