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The start of the Warriors-Timberwolves game was postponed due to an unusual net malfunction that occurred just before tip-off. Originally set to begin at 7:30 PM, the teams were left waiting on the court as officials worked to resolve the issue.

The holidays are a time for surprises, with the Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves dealing with an unexpected delay before tip-off on Saturday at Target Center.

Just before the scheduled 7 p.m. CT start, referees tended to one of the baskets, due to an apparent issue with the net.

Tip-off in Minnesota has been delayed due to an apparent issue with a net pic.twitter.com/N2knrcxe7w

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 22, 2024

The prolonged delay at one point even led to a chorus of boos from the home crowd directed at the maintenance crew tasked with replacing the damaged nets as they tended to the malfunctioning basket.

It took five tries for the net to ultimately be replaced, and the successful endeavor was greeted with thunderous applause from the home crowd anxious to watch Golden State and Minnesota square off after a nearly 30-minute delay.

The Warriors and Timberwolves split two games at Chase Center earlier this month, with Draymond Green hitting Steph Curry's iconic "night night" celebration in Golden State's 114-106 win on Dec. 8.

Green is out for Saturday's matchup with an ankle injury, so any late-game celebrations will have to come from someone else if the Warriors are able to pull out a win over the Timberwolves.

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