Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called Bones Hyland an “X factor” after the guard scored 14 points in 13 minutes during Sunday’s 115-100 win over the Utah Jazz.
“Bones continues to be, you know, an X factor for us,” Finch said. “We need his punch when he’s playing downhill and turning corners and stuff like that like he was in the first, well, all throughout the game. He’s really a difference maker for us.”
Hyland was one of several reserves who lifted Minnesota. Trey Lyles added nine points and six rebounds, Jaylen Clark had three points and two steals, and Joan Beringer recorded four points.
“Those guys really came in gave us energy,” Finch said. “I thought Bones was really good. And Jaylen Clark and Trey Lyles in particular, you know, Joan as well.”
The Timberwolves used 10 players Sunday, and Finch said that approach can continue if players earn their minutes. “It’s feasible for sure as long as everyone’s kind of earning those minutes,” he said. “We’re just going to have to continue to play with the lineup combinations.”
Finch credited contributions across the roster during Minnesota’s four-game winning streak. The Timberwolves improved to 8-3.
“Contributions from everybody up and down the roster at times,” Finch said. He also praised the team’s ability to “come together in the fourth and play our best basketball, you know, like when it mattered to most.”
“I think the shots that we’ve been able to generate for the most part late in the game have been high quality,” Finch said.
The coach also praised LaMelo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu as a backcourt pairing. Dosunmu scored 26 points and Ball added 24 points and five assists against Utah.
“They both can really kind of score at all different levels,” Finch said. “Ayo’s downhill speed, LaMelo’s ability to get downhill, those two guys open up a lot of things for everybody. They’re both really good shooters from the top of the floor.”
Finch said the team’s defensive progress reflected buy-in from players, including Ball and Hyland. “We’re getting really good defensive efforts from Melo. We’re getting great defensive efforts from, you know, Bones and some of these guys that would challenge them every day to play better defense,” he said.
Minnesota held Utah to 100 points. Finch said he was not surprised by the defensive results “if we all bought in.”
He acknowledged that the Timberwolves were not sharp throughout Sunday’s game, citing turnovers and “ill-advised shots” in the first half. Still, he praised their ability to respond.
“We’ve been able to, like, respond within the game pretty well,” Finch said. “That’s kind of pleasing. But what I like about this team right now is, like, I kind of know I have great confidence in how they’re going to play every night with when it comes to effort and connectivity.”
Minnesota opened an eight-game homestand with the win and hosts the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, November 12.
