It was a tale of two Minnesota Timberwolves teams on Monday night.
On one hand, the starters were having all sorts of problems and weren’t looking like their regular selves.
On the other hand, the bench players were stepping up and keeping the team alive.
According to StatMuse, the numbers from Monday’s Game 4 were quite stark.
The Wolves’ starters collectively scored 62 points, while the combination of second-unit players Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, and Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 64.
Points tonight:
62 — Wolves starters
64 — NAW, Donte, Naz, TSJ pic.twitter.com/RvjDTeeZXi
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 27, 2025
These impressive numbers from the bench have all fans wondering what could have happened if the starters were in better form.
The Timberwolves lost by just two points, and things could have been very different had Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, and others not been having trouble.
At multiple times throughout the game, Minnesota followers were astonished to see how close the game was.
That’s because their biggest stars weren’t playing well, yet the Timberwolves somehow kept things close.
The key was these bench players.
Alexander-Walker led the whole team with 23 points, while DiVincenzo was right behind him with 21, Reid had 11, and Shannon had nine.
The Timberwolves are now barely hanging onto their spot in the playoffs, and one more loss will eliminate them.
If they wish to remain in competition, they will need everyone, from starters and bench players, to perform well.
There is now no margin for error from anyone, and Minnesota has to be at 100 percent in Game 5 and beyond.
All eyes will be on the team to see how they respond.
If everyone comes together and pushes themselves, they might keep hope alive.
If not, the season will come to a disappointing end.
NEXT: Julius Randle Admits He Was 'Just Spectating' In Game 4