News is not good in Minnesota right now. Despite defeating the Heat in double overtime Friday, there was still a dark shadow over the team. And it had nothing to do with another Playoff chase coming up short for yet another year.
Backup forward Dante Cunningham will bring some unneeded attention to the organization. Charges were filed against Cunningham on Friday in Hennepin County (Minneapolis) with felony domestic assault. These are very serious charges.
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and that is important to remember. And so life has to go on even with a dark cloud.
The Timberwolves, playing without Kevin Love on Saturday in Orlando thanks to back spasms, were joined by Cunningham and started Cunningham in the desperate act to fill a rotation.
“I talked to him and Dante said he wanted to play,” Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said before the Timberwolves’ loss to the Magic. “I didn’t see any reason why we wouldn’t at this point.”
The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement provides Cunningham the right to go back to work while the case is pending. The NBA will not take any action until the case is decided.
Cunningham scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots. He was energetic and solid defensively. There seemed to be no effects from the events this weekend.
He was not available to the media after the game. Timberwolves staff also was quick in the Amway Center locker rooms, but that might have been a product of finishing a Florida back-to-back and trying to get home for a make-up game with the Spurs at Target Center on Tuesday.
UPDATE: Dante Cunningham was brought back in custody in Medina, Minnesota.
Dante Cunningham in custody again today, by Medina police for making terroristic threats. We're working on story for online
— Jerry Zgoda (@JerryZgoda) April 6, 2014
It is not ideal for anyone to deal with this kind of a situation. Cunningham will do his best on the court for sure in the final week and a half of the season. Then… the uncertainty of the offseason and the legal process awaits.
