Everyone knew that it wasn’t going to be easy for the Minnesota Timberwolves to close out their series with the Denver Nuggets on Monday. Losing both Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo in Game 4 meant the team would have to find a way to advance severely undermanned. The series is extending after Denver pulled out a 125-113 victory in Game 5.
Minnesota’s next opportunity to advance to the next round comes Thursday in Game 6 on its home floor. One positive to take from the Game 5 loss was the play of Bones Hyland, who is looking to get revenge on his former team that drafted him.
If Bones' strong play can continue, he could help the Wolves close out the series while getting revenge on the team that gave up on him three years ago.
Hyland needs to continue to provide a spark off the bench
Without their top scorer in Edwards and most prolific 3-point shooter in DiVincenzo, it was expected that the Timberwolves could have struggles on the offensive end.
Other than turning the ball over way too much, the offensive effort wasn’t all that bad in Game 5. Bones entered the game with 5:37 left in the first quarter and provided a spark on the offensive end. He knocked down two 3-pointers before the end of the frame, including one from well beyond the arc with just five seconds left.
Altogether in his 23 minutes of action, Hyland scored 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting. Knowing that he would need to take on a larger role, he (mostly) delivered. Bones also turned the ball over three times, which was a team-wide issue as they finished the night with 25 total.
It was a series high in scoring for the 25-year-old, who dropped 13 points in Game 2. It was also a nice bounce-back performance as Hyland went 0-for-5 from deep in Game 4.
Hyland can get revenge on the Nuggets
Of course, there’s extra motivation for Bones in this opening round series against Minnesota's top rival. Selected by Denver with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Hyland was named to the All-Rookie second team in 2021-22. The following season saw the Nuggets sour on him, and he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in February of 2023.
It has been a wonderful year off the bench for Hyland after it looked like he might be close to being out of the league. Hyland certainly has earned more than the minimum one-year deal that he received last offseason.
The year will get even better if Bones is a key reason the team that dumped him three years ago is eliminated in the first round. A strong showing in Game 6 could turn this possibility into a reality.
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