‘I’ve had enough Pat Bev pregame speeches’
Former Minnesota Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley was expected back at Target Center for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals between the Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder Monday night in Minneapolis.
Beverley was a key piece of the 2021-22 Wolves team — his lone season in Minnesota — that ended a three-year playoff drought and kicked off a series of four straight playoff appearances, including now reaching the Western Conference finals in back-to-back seasons. He was always known as a fiery player, and Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was asked pregame if Beverley might be a source for a locker room speech prior to the game to get his team fired up for Game 4.
“No,” Finch quipped. “I’ve had enough Pat Bev pregame speeches.”
Finch may have gotten his fair share, but it figured to be a warm reception for Beverley, who notably stood on the tables at center court after the Wolves beat the Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in game in 2022 to end the playoff drought. It couldn’t have been known then, but that would be the beginning of a big turnaround for Timberwolves basketball.
