A close game turned into a loss for the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of their playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in San Francisco Saturday night.
The Warriors said the game sold out at 18,064 tickets. While fans were excited for the home game, the looming question of the night was how the Warriors would fare with Stephen Curry out again due to a hamstring strain.
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WATCH HEREUltimately, the Dubs fell to the Timberwolves 97 to 102. Now, the Timberwolves lead the series 2-1.
Fans filled Chase Center with cheers and enthusiasm during the game.
Several big-name fans were in attendance as well. 95-year-old labor activist Dolores Huerta rang the bell to kick off the game. Former Major League Baseball stars, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez, were seated next to each other courtside. Country singer Luke Bryan was also at the game.
Fans traveled from all around the Bay Area and beyond to attend.
81-year-old Myrna Axt said she drove three-and-a-half hours from her home in Fresno to see the game. Axt was wearing a gold-sequined jacket she bought online, and hand-stitched a Warriors rally towel onto the back.
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"My heart pounds really hard, and I scream and yell," Axt said. "Sometimes, I have no voice left at the end of the game."
"It's so sad to see [Steph] Curry go out, but the guys are really stepping up, and I think that makes it even more exciting," she continued.
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SIGN UP The score stayed close throughout the game, but in the end, the Dubs didn't pull off the win.
"We [were] supposed to come out with a victory, and we didn’t," said Oakland resident Millie Nelson, who was at the game. "I’m disappointed, that’s all.”
Nelson and several other Warriors fans who spoke with NBC Bay Area expressed frustration with the officiating.
"I think that was a tough game for Golden State," said Alex Ngomo, who went to the game while visiting San Francisco from Paris, France.
"When I saw that it was against Minnesota, I thought that was a good game to watch," Ngomo said, noting that he was rooting for the Warriors.
"It was a good game, but not having all the three-pointers automatically going in was a big loss, and a little bit of a letdown," said Emily Schiller of Richmond.
Like many fans, she is hoping Curry is able to heal and play again soon.
"We’re huge Warriors fans and we’re not giving up," Schiller continued. "Monday’s another game for us, so we’re hoping to win then."
Henry Rubio of Hayward felt similarly optimistic, saying, "I feel like we got this."
"We gonna pull through, especially if we can get Curry in the 6th or 7th game," Rubio continued.
The Warriors and Timberwolves will play Game 4 at Chase Center on Monday at 7 p.m.
