We were in Notes app territory.<\/p>\n
Conversely, no Anthony Edwards for the nagging foot infection he\u2019s been dealing with, and came off of a mediocre game by his standards on Sunday night.<\/p>\n
Putting it lightly, it\u2019s been a horrific stretch in Minneapolis, and Sunday night\u2019s game was an environment closer to a vigil than a basketball game<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pair it all with the uninspiring lull that the Wolves are currently forging for themselves on the floor, Monday night was simply a must-win game for a much better team on paper and a fanbase that just needed something to cheer for.<\/p>\n But who would bring the energy? An unfocused, unenthused Timberwolves team had been rolling through the last week without a tone-setter, and the results followed. Early on, much of the same seemed to be happening.<\/p>\n Julius Randle hit his first three but would go on to miss his next four, and a similar tone was set for a team that tends to settle for shots. Out of the Wolves\u2019 first 12 shot attempts, eight of them were threes. With no Draymond Green for Golden State, the Warriors deeply lacked interior defense and were begging to be out-rebounded and outscored in the paint with Quinten Post playing most of their center minutes.<\/p>\n Rudy Gobert would need to play well. He did. His 15 points and 17 rebounds showed a return to aggression that\u2019s been missing for the Wolves center over the last few games.<\/p>\n Largely because of the center\u2019s return to form, the game would follow its anticipated projection as has been the theme all year. When Gobert plays well, the Wolves are able to lean into the only identity that wins them games: Defense.<\/p>\n The home team would go on to pull in front of the Warriors by 28 points by the beginning for the fourth quarter and close the deal in emphatic fashion.<\/p>\n The slow start? Short-lived.<\/p>\n A shot in the arm was needed badly, and while they may just have gotten it, it wasn\u2019t going to happen without a little help from the bench. A team so desperately searching for players to come into the game and make an impact, Monday served as a perfect opportunity to show a pulse from Chris Finch and company\u2019s unit.<\/p>\n MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 26: Austin Rivers interviews Bones Hyland #8 of the Minnesota Timberwolves after the game against the Golden State Warriors on January 26, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman\/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n The Timberwolves bench is in need of a defibrillator.<\/p>\n 26th in bench field goal percentage and 22nd in bench points per game, it\u2019s a unit whose inconsistency outside of former Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid shows on a night to night basis.<\/p>\n Lacking a super high ceiling with Mike Conley typically a part of the unity on a night to night basis, Bones Hyland is one that can that can play a major role in elevating it. The problem is he shares the adjective in the above paragraph; inconsistency.<\/p>\n When Hyland scores 10 or more points, the Wolves are 7-4. When he scores 15 or more, the Wolves are 3-0.<\/p>\n Monday was no exception, as Hyland finished the night with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes of action.<\/p>\n \u201cWe gotta have those performances on a nightly basis to be honest with you,\u201d Head Coach Chris Finch said after the game.<\/p>\n During the aforementioned three-point slog at the beginning of the game that didn\u2019t yield much offensive production, Hyland\u2019s entrance into the game signaled more of a focus to attack the paint and get Golden State on their heels. His first six points came by way of transition layup, which parlayed into easier shotmaking.<\/p>\n \u201cIt definitely feels like the basket opens up more,\u201d Hyland said after the game about starting things off by going to the basket and seeing a couple layups go down.<\/p>\n For him, so much of it is proactivity on the offensive end and being aggressive.<\/p>\n \u201cPlaying fast, being myself out there\u2026I feel like I got back to that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n How does he continue to be himself as time goes on? Being less deferential in the offense, especially with a franchise player in Anthony Edwards making his way back into the lineup in short order. Hyland\u2019s two best scoring games have come when Edwards has not been in the lineup (the other one coming in the road win against Milwaukee).<\/p>\n Finch mentioned after the game that he sometimes sees his primary-scoring bench guard defer too much when players higher in the pecking order are in the game, and that it needs to change.<\/p>\n \u201cI told him he\u2019s allowed play like this when Ant doesn\u2019t play,\u201d he half-joked after the game. \u201cHe\u2019s an aggressive player by nature, and I think that helps him.\u201d<\/p>\n MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 26: Joan Beringer #19 of the Minnesota Timberwolves goes up for a shot past Malevy Leons #33 of the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter at Target Center on January 26, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Warriors 108-83. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"MINNEAPOLIS,](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2257856502.jpg\"\/)
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"MINNEAPOLIS,](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2258416819.jpg\"\/)
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