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Timberwolves Find Unexpected Motivation in Joe Ingles’ Son

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Joe Ingles earned a start with his autistic son in attendance.

Vibes in the Twin Cities were nearing a low point for the season. The Timberwolves, recently removed from an eight-game win streak that matched the third longest in franchise history, had lost two straight. Each of those two was games in which the home team, Minnesota, was favored by a significant amount -7.5 point favorites against a depleted Indiana team missing four starters, and 12.5 point favorites against the Pelicans, who wallow in the depths of the Western Conference. Both games were right there for the taking, and poor clutch performances did them in.

The locker room needed a shake-up, and coach Chris Finch was presented with an idea: with Joe Ingles‘ son visiting from Orlando, insert him into the starting lineup for the first time all season. The 37-year-old Australian had primarily served as a late-game inbound specialist. His last meaningful minutes came nearly a month ago. But on Friday night, his minutes were more than meaningful — they marked a milestone greater than any basketball record.

Timberwolves Find Unexpected Motivation in Joe Ingles’ Son

How Ingles Ended Up in Minnesota

Last season, Ingles played a big role on the Orlando Magic. He helped a young, inexperienced roster get to the postseason for the first time in four seasons. Although he came off the bench, he played every game that he was healthy for, including all seven during a tense series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. His athleticism, never a large part of his game, had clearly fallen off even further, but his shooting was indisputable. Last year, Ingles shot 43.5% from three-point land, the fourth-highest total of his career.

When Minnesota lost utility forward Kyle Anderson in the offseason, Ingles signed with the hopes of replacing some of the wily playmaking and physical guard play. Coach Finch was determined to find him a role. He saw playing time in each of the first five games. But when it became clear the Wolves needed to foster their young player development, Ingles happily settled into being a veteran role model.

So What Changed?

Well, on the basketball court, nothing changed. Instead, it was a personal event that led to Ingles starting an NBA game for the first time since 2022. His family, a wife, and three children had remained at the family home in Orlando all season, rather than moving to Minnesota. A crucial factor in this decision was related to Joe Ingles’ son, Jacob, who has autism and has found a great program in the schools in Orlando to support his development. Due to Jacob’s diagnosis, he has never been able to attend a full NBA game. Ingles’ family came North for this homestead, but in a tight game Wednesday, Ingles never saw the court. To allow Jacob and the family to see him play, Finch started him, saying, “Sometimes you gotta do the human thing… I figured if we’re going to do it, let’s do it in style.”

Love and Basketball Leads to Important Win

Buoyed by the feel-good story of the night, Minnesota put together one of their most complete performances of the year. Seven Wolves scored in double figures, and the 40 team assists were a season-best. Although they only won Ingles’ six early minutes by a single point, it was evident from the tip that this team was more engaged than the squad that showed up earlier in the week. Just a couple minutes into the fourth quarter, Finch pulled the starters. The Wolves were 1-0 in the Joe Ingles Son Era, a crucial win in the playoff chase. Postgame, when asked about the gesture, Ingles said, “The fact that it even crossed his mind shows a lot” (via @JonKrawczynski). For Jacob, it showed how loved his dad is in Minnesota.

 

Photo credit: © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The post Timberwolves Find Unexpected Motivation in Joe Ingles’ Son appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.