Jan. 14, 2026, 1:03 p.m. ET
Rookie Joan Beringer logged a season high in minutes on Tuesday, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves to a dominant road win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Beringer finished with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in the 139-106 win at Fiserv Forum, their largest in the all-time series versus the Bucks. He shot 6-of-7 from the field and was a plus-30 in 29 minutes, 40 seconds off the bench.
The 17th pick became the first Timberwolves rookie to record at least 10 points and four offensive rebounds as a reserve player since Nemanja Bjelica in April 2016. He is one of nine first-year players to accomplish that feat in a game this season.
“It was great, and we won,” Beringer said. “Giannis (Antetokounmpo) was my favorite player; to play against him was a really good experience. I really enjoyed it.”
Beringer had played sparingly for the Timberwolves before Tuesday, totaling 62 minutes across 14 appearances. He was called upon with Anthony Edwards (right foot injury maintenance), Rudy Gobert (league suspension) and Terrence Shannon Jr. (foot) sidelined.
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The Frenchman made only his sixth appearance since November in the contest, providing a spark by making hustle plays, protecting the rim, cleaning up the glass and keeping other possessions alive. The team was pleased with his performance.
“The effort we got from Joan off the bench was spectacular,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “We prepared him as normal and went through a few things in detail with him in shootaround, and just let him go. We didn’t want to overburden him. We just wanted him to play on energy and instinct.”
Beringer was sent to the G League on a few occasions out of the rotation, averaging 11.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in seven games with the Iowa Wolves. He has registered three doubles, including a 10-point, 11-rebound debut on Dec. 12 in a loss to the Motor City Cruise.
Those minutes with Iowa have been instrumental in preparing Beringer to contribute for Finch & Co. There, he gained a taste of the increased physicality and game speed against high-level competition, and that experience showed on Tuesday.
“From where he was before he went to the G League to now, you can just see he has figured out the composure of how he needs to play and how to use his energy within that,” Finch said. “Just understanding the pace of the game, the physicality, knowing where to be on the floor in the flow of our offense. He just really needed to go play and settle into this phase of life.”
Beringer was touted as one of the top international prospects in the draft because of his versatility, athleticism and length, boasting a 7-foot, 5-inch wingspan. Either in the G League or the NBA, Beringer has showcased those traits in a limited sample size.
Finch hinted that Beringer could see additional minutes in the future, following his performance against the Bucks. Beringer believes the G League helped him stay ready to contribute and is grateful to have received those minutes with Iowa.
“I think it helped me a lot because I started basketball really late,” Beringer said. “To play a lot, that’s what I need. To play in Iowa and try some new stuff, it really helped me to play tonight.”