Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls dunks the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 22, 2026
The Minnesota Timberwolves play at Target Center in Minneapolis on Jan. 22, 2026.
The NBA postponed a Minnesota Timberwolves game after federal agents fatally shot a protester in Minneapolis.
The matchup between the North Star State's team and the Golden State Warriors, which was set to air on ABC, will no longer take place on Saturday night, the league has announced.
Chicago Bulls shoots a free throw during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 22, 2026
Chicago Bulls shoots a free throw during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 22, 2026
"The National Basketball Association game scheduled for today between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center has been postponed," the NBA said in a statement. "The decision was made to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community."
The league added that the game would instead take place on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET and will now be broadcast on NBA TV.
The decision came after Border Patrol agents shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis on Saturday morning. The victim was identified as Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, The New York Times reported.
MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES - JANUARY 24: Federal agents fire tear gas during a demonstration following the shooting of a protester during a scuffle as agents attempted to arrest him in Minneapolis, United States, on January 24, 2026. A man was shot by a federal agent in south Minneapolis on Saturday, marking the second such incident in Minnesota this month. 'We are aware of reports of another shooting involving federal law enforcement in the area of 26th Street W and Nicollet Ave,' the City of Minneapolis said on the US social media company X.
MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES - JANUARY 24: Federal agents fire tear gas during a demonstration following the shooting of a protester during a scuffle as agents attempted to arrest him in Minneapolis, United States, on January 24, 2026. A man was shot by a federal agent in south Minneapolis on Saturday, marking the second such incident in Minnesota this month. 'We are aware of reports of another shooting involving federal law enforcement in the area of 26th Street W and Nicollet Ave,' the City of Minneapolis said on the US social media company X.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller claimed that the victim was a "domestic terrorist." The Department of Homeland Security said the individual "approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun" and "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."
Video footage of the incident appeared to show the victim holding a phone, not a gun, before agents brought him to the ground and shot him.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pushed back against the DHS' account of the events at a press conference. "Thank God we have video," he said. "Because according to DHS, these seven heroic guys took an onslaught of a battalion against them or something. It's nonsense, people. It is nonsense and it's lies."
Chief Brian O'Hara of the Minneapolis Police Department said the victim was believed to have no criminal record and had a permit to carry a gun. Minnesota allows citizens with a firearm permit to carry a handgun in public without concealment.
Saturday's shooting is the latest in a string of violent acts from federal agents in the Twin Cities. On Jan. 7, a 37-year-old woman, Renee Good, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Agents also shot a man in the leg there on Jan. 14.
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ICE's presence in Minnesota has led to widespread protests in the state, including a massive general strike on Friday that saw hundreds of businesses close their doors in solidarity. Organizers told Reuters that as many as 50,000 people took to the streets in weather around minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit to protest.