Two Minnesota Timberwolves players who helped define Tuesday’s outcome were guard Bones Hyland and center Joan Beringer, according to Jon Krawczynski.
Hyland delivered one of the most efficient performances of his career, pouring in 23 points with five assists while posting an eye-popping plus-41 in just 21 minutes.
Over the past several weeks, he has steadily carved out a dependable role off the bench, providing scoring punch and energy when the starters sit.
Beringer’s night was just as notable for different reasons.
The rookie logged his first meaningful minutes of the season and made the most of them, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds and a plus-30 mark across 30 minutes.
His activity level and composure stood out, prompting head coach Chris Finch to acknowledge that a regular spot in the rotation could be in play moving forward.
“We can. People are going to have to sacrifice minutes, but if he plays like this, then we should be benefiting from everybody,” Finch said. “We will step-by-step this. Since draft night, we’ve long believed in this kid. This is just the beginning.”
Hyland, meanwhile, sees his recent consistency as the product of growth that has taken place since he entered the league.
In an interview with Spencer Davis of R.org, the former first-round pick reflected on how his perspective has changed since being selected 26th overall in 2021.
“I would say the biggest thing is maturity, understanding the business side of basketball, and just understanding the patience of basketball, too,” Hyland said. “I feel like some guys get carried away with losing their mind, losing their mental battle with basketball.
“I feel like once you beat that, everything comes to be much easier for you on the court. I feel like I beat that, and now, it’s just taking care of the basketball part and just trying to go out there and be the best basketball player I can be for Minnesota.”
