Alexey, Archie, & Violette

     Hit the Target Center last Friday night to watch the Pups down the Milwaukee Bucks. Took two of my humans-in-training, Archie, 4, and Violette, 6, which colored the entire experience as only taking a kid to a game can.

     Archie’s highlights for the experience included: wondering at the furry TV-shaped My29 mascot greeting fans as we entered the concourse, riding the escalators, sticking his hand between my hands when I clapped, and sitting in the “high” seats. I’d make fun of myself for being chintzy here by buying the cheapest tickets available…if the cheapest tickets didn’t cost $29 per seat, which Archie forwent most of the game anyway as he sat on my lap.

     Violette’s highlights included walking the streets of Minneapolis from the parking garage to the Target Center, riding the elevators and escalators, walking around the concourse deciding what concessions her tummy was most hungry for at halftime, choosing a Klondike bar (and eating about four bites before deciding she’d had enough—it was a lot of work, actually, for a person with no front teeth), and procuring a pair of those thunder stix thingies that she banged together the entire fourth quarter.

     The game was pretty lackluster, actually. Two teams of average record, Rubio still out, no awesome runs by either team. Kevin Love was sick, apparently, though we did not know that at the time. His shot sure looked like it had the flu—he was just 5-for-19 for the game, including only 1-for-7 from three-point land.

     Things finally picked up a little when the Bucks nearly evened the score in the fourth quarter and Alexey Shved took over, scoring 10 of his team-high 16 points and making great passes and generally taking care of the ball and the lead. In my opinion, he also executed the most admirable play of the season so far with 2:30 left in the game and the Bucks mounting one last late run. Working the shot clock down and dribbling between half court and the top of the key, he got double-teamed and retreated back and to his right. Just when it looked as if he might be penned in at the intersection of the half-court line and the sideline, he stopped and whipped a one-handed, 50-foot, crosscourt pass to a wide open Luke Ridnour on the left baseline, which Ridnour converted to put the nail in the coffin. Great vision by Shved, and admirable for its unconventionality, degree of difficulty, and clutch factor. I’m liking this guy more and more, and I can’t wait to see him paired with Tricky Ricky.

     With that, we soon left the game, the kids happy and me grateful for the rare chance to watch a game sans subpar, yammering announcers or relegated to poor camera angles that TV provides. It’s a good game, this basketball. Shout out to James Naismith.