The Timberwolves are having one of their best, if not the best, season in franchise history, leading the Western Conference and filling up Target Center for home games.
That success on the court has also given a boost to some local businesses riding the coattails of Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and the rest of the Wolves.
One Twin Cities brewery has seeing a big boost in business. Falling Knife Brewing in Northeast Minneapolis has become a popular destination for Minnesota Timberwolves fans.
The brewery hosts Wolves watch parties, which have grown tremendously since opening in 2019.
"People come out, you get the vibe, everybody's having a good time whether or not we're winning and losing the game, says Dan Herman, Falling Knife's chief revenue officer. "There's cheering and you've got everybody locked in together to celebrate these successes."
He says people have changed their reasons for going out since the pandemic, and they've adjusted.
"Experiential, taproom elements are something people are looking for now maybe more than they were in the past," Herman adds.
Herman says this Wolves' team being successful drives more business this time of year, which typically is not as kind to bars and restaurants.
After a playoff run by the Twins last October, downtown Minneapolis businesses got a boost and were thrilled the Wolves have kept it going. As downtown establishments, and Mayor Jacob Frey, continue to plea for businesses to bring more workers back to the office, the Wolves success is helping bridge that gap.
"We definitely see it, we we feel it, it was a problem and it needs to be addressed," says Tim Mahoney who owns The Loon Café in downtown Minneapolis, just steps from Target Center.
Mahoney sees firsthand how the lack of downtown workers impacts business on a daily basis. He says the Minnesota Twins playoff run was big for business, and that a Minnesota Timberwolves run deep into the playoffs would pay dividends as well.
"That'll create, just like '87 and '91 with the Twins, that'll create an atmosphere downtown that people will want to be part of," Mahoney says. "So, come back downtown, they'll enjoy downtown, they'll find downtown to be safe, and fun, and vibrant, and then they will continue to come downtown."
And he says that bringing city and county workers downtown would be big for the city.
"Then you can go to the businesses and say, 'hey, Target and other Fortune 500 companies, we really would like to have your people downtown.' The only way you'll make downtown vibrant again," Mahoney predicts.
The Wolves are currently on a long road trip and play Thursday night in Portland before the NBA heads to Indianapolis for the All-Star Break. The Wolves won't get much of a break for this year's All-Star festivities, with both Edwards and Towns participating in All-Star Saturday events, both playing in the game Sunday, and coach Chris Finch and his staff coaching the West.
The Timberwolves returns from the break by hosting the Milwaukee Bucks at Target Center on Friday, February 23 which happens to be a very late 9:00 p.m. local time start due to ESPN carrying the game. The price you pay for being number one in the West.
One more thing that should help downtown businesses in March is a visit from the Big Ten. This year's women's and men's Big Ten Tournaments will be played in Minneapolis bringing two dozen teams, and all of their fans, to the Twin Cities.