The head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Chris Finch, has shared the heartfelt reason behind Australian stalwart Joe Ingles starting his first NBA game in more than three years.
Ingles, accompanied by his wife and three children, made his first starting appearance since January 2022 on Saturday (AEDT) after reaching a significant milestone—his son Jacob, who has autism, recently managed to watch an entire game live.
Finch decided to give Ingles the start so that Jacob could witness his father’s performance on the court.
“Sometimes you just have to prioritise the human aspect,” the coach remarked in the post-match interview.
Joe Ingles’ children in the crowd before the Timberwolves’ game. Twitter
“We always mention how ‘all minutes count’, and those minutes carried a deeper significance today. Someone suggested to me that we ensure Joe got to play, and I thought if we’re going to do it, let’s make it memorable.”
“The team supported this decision, and I believe it provided us with that needed inspiration. It’s not often you get opportunities like these, but we are thrilled we could pull it off.”
The 37-year-old Australian finished with no points and one assist in just over six minutes on the court.
Ingles’ wife, Renae, expressed gratitude to the team for the unforgettable experience on social media.
Teammate Julius Randle shone with 20 points, alongside six rebounds and five assists, leading the Timberwolves to a commanding 134-93 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Both Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards contributed with 17 points each, while Rudy Gobert had a solid game, posting 13 points and 12 rebounds. With this win, Minnesota is now just a game behind Golden State for the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, with ten games remaining.
The 41-point margin of victory is Minnesota’s largest so far this season.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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