One of the biggest victories in recent Minnesota sports history took place on Tuesday night. Among the thousands in the crowd were a bunch of players who hope to be part of some big victories of their own this fall.
The Timberwolves beat the Clippers, 109 to 104, to advance past the NBA's Play-In Tournament and into a first-round playoff series with the Grizzlies. It was a euphoric night in downtown Minneapolis, as a long downtrodden franchise staged a fourth-quarter comeback on national television and qualified for the playoffs for just the second time in the past 18 years.
Up in a suite at the Target Center, a group of 20 Vikings players took in the action.
It was a group outing organized by the team's marquee free agent acquisition of the offseason, star pass rusher Za'Darius Smith. He hosted them for a meal cooked by his personal chef beforehand, too.
After the game, the players were invited down onto the court as the celebrating fans trickled out of the building. There, they took a full group photo.
An incomplete list of the players in that picture:
- WR Trishton Jackson
- CB Tye Smith
- C Garrett Bradbury
- DT Harrison Phillips
- DE D.J. Wonnum
- DE Janarius Robinson
- DT Jaylen Twyman
- DE Patrick Jones II
- RT Brian O'Neill
- DE Kenny Willekes
- CB Kris Boyd
- DT Armon Watts
- LB Eric Kendricks
- CB Parry Nickerson
- WR Justin Jefferson
- OLB Za'Darius Smith
- CB Cameron Dantzler
This might not seem like a big thing, but it's the type of culture the Vikings are hoping to foster this year. Chemistry, camaraderie, and togetherness can go a long way towards winning football games.
The other takeaway here is that even though Smith has only been a Viking for a few weeks, he's already become an important leader on the team and is making a major impression with Minnesota fans.
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