The NBA has postponed Saturday night’s game between the Timberwolves and Warriors at the Target Center after a Minneapolis resident was shot and killed by federal agents on Saturday morning.
In a statement, the league said the postponement was made “to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community.”
The game has been rescheduled for Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at the Target Center. The two teams are scheduled to play again Monday in Minneapolis, a game that was already scheduled.
Minneapolis police said the man who was killed was a 37-year-old American citizen with no prior criminal record, but did not identify him. The man’s parents have identified him as ICU nurse Alex Pretti.
Thousands of protestors gathered in downtown Minneapolis on Friday to call for an end to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state. At least two people have been shot by ICE in Minneapolis this month, including 37-year-old Renee Good, who was killed on Jan. 7.
The protests went past Target Center and the Warriors’ downtown team hotel, according to ESPN. Saturday’s shooting reportedly took place at 26th Street W and Nicollet Ave, about two miles from Target Center.
It’s unclear whether the NHL will also postpone the Wild’s home game Saturday night against the Panthers. The Wild play in St. Paul, about 11 miles away from Target Center. Front Office Sports has reached out to the NHL for comment.
The NBA suspended first-round playoff games in August 2020 after Bucks players refused to take the court in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake, which occurred three months after George Floyd was killed by police officers in Minneapolis. At the time, the NBA was playing games inside the “bubble” at Walt Disney World in Florida.
The league also postponed a game on April 12, 2021 in Minneapolis between the Timberwolves and Nets after 20-year-old Daunte Wright was fatally shot at a traffic stop by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
