Bones Hyland entered Thursday night as a reserve, but he played like Minnesota’s first answer to the question of how the Timberwolves would function without Anthony Edwards. His 24 points and eight assists helped shape the competitive portion of a 133-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, while Joan Beringer later supplied 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
The order matters. Hyland helped build Minnesota’s early lead. Beringer’s production was real, but much of it arrived after Minnesota had built a large cushion. Dallas did not lose because a reserve player piled up numbers in the final stages. The Mavericks were already in trouble because Minnesota found creation and scoring from its second unit while the game still required answers.
Dallas briefly led 18-16 late in the first quarter. Hyland then hit a 29-foot 3-pointer, made two free throws and added a step-back 3-pointer before the period ended. He assisted Ayo Dosunmu on a pull-up jumper with 1:38 left and later found Dosunmu for a layup.
His pass also set up Jaylen Clark’s 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining, sending Minnesota into the second quarter ahead 34-26.
That sequence captures a fuller kind of reserve contribution. Hyland was not merely finishing possessions; he was helping produce them. He finished 7 for 10 from the field, 5 for 6 from 3-point range and 5 for 6 at the free-throw line.
The shooting was unusually sharp and should not be treated as a promise that every night will look like this. The eight assists, however, gave Minnesota another ballhandler who could keep the offense moving while Edwards was unavailable.
Minnesota’s starters supplied plenty of force, too. LaMelo Ball scored 22 points, made six 3-pointers and handed out nine assists. Ayo Dosunmu scored 18, Kuminga contributed eight rebounds to go with his 14 points.
McDaniels scored 16. The Timberwolves led 67-52 at halftime, with their starters accounting for 79 points by the end of the game. This was not a reserve unit dragging an otherwise empty offense across the finish line.
That is why the comparison with Dallas’ own bench needs care. The Mavericks’ reserves scored 52 points, and Zaccharie Risacher delivered 22 points on 9-for-14 shooting, including four 3-pointers. But Minnesota’s reserves contributed at different moments and in different ways. Hyland helped widen the early separation with shooting and passing. Beringer later punished Dallas around the rim and protected the basket.
Beringer’s two third-quarter dunks, one assisted by Terrence Shannon Jr., came after Minnesota had already begun pulling away. The Timberwolves opened the second half by scoring 17 of the first 21 points. Ball’s 31-foot 3-pointer made it 70-53, and Dosunmu, McDaniels and Kuminga soon pushed the score to 77-53.
