Minnesota beat New York 122-104 on Oct. 12, its second straight preseason win. Jaden McDaniels shot 8-for-12, and Ayo Dosunmu ran the bench to a plus-13 in 20 minutes — the kind of night Chris Finch had in mind when he told The Athletic the roster has traded moodiness for giddiness.
Bench Carries the Margin
Dosunmu, Zyon Pullin and Bones Hyland combined for 25 points and never finished a shift in the red: Dosunmu was plus-13 in 20 minutes, Pullin plus-8, Hyland plus-14. The bench finished with 51 points to the starters' 66, a gap that would have been wider without them. McDaniels matched Anthony Edwards' 26 with 22 of his own, needing just 12 shots to get there.
Pistons Arrive Rested
Detroit visits next, on Oct. 14, after three days off against Minnesota's one. The Pistons are 60-22 from a season ago and still have Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, though both are day-to-day with rest designations of their own. Minnesota closes a stretch of three games in seven days; Jonathan Kuminga, Rocco Zikarsky and Enrique Freeman carry the same day-to-day tag, each with an estimated return of Oct. 14.
An Open Rotation Question
The question now is rotation, not record. When Kuminga and the rested starters are all available again, does Finch keep playing the group that just won two straight, or does the bench that produced Oct. 12's plus-13s and plus-14 get fewer minutes once health stops forcing his hand.
Did the Timberwolves beat the Knicks?
Yes. Minnesota won 122-104 on Oct. 12, its second straight preseason win, with Anthony Edwards scoring 26 and Jaden McDaniels adding 22.
Who do the Timberwolves play next?
Detroit at home on Oct. 14 in preseason play, with the Pistons coming off three days of rest to Minnesota's one.
