ATLANTA (AP) – Minnesota coach Ryan Saunders moved Jeff Teague out of the starting lineup to give the reserves more scoring punch.
The Timberwolves reserves responded, scoring 46 points in a 125-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.
The idea to move Teague to the bench wasn’t that of Saunders alone. He said he and the former Hawks guard have been talking about it for some time. “We talked earlier. It’s more about who ends games, too,” Saunders said. “Jeff Teague is a professional and he’s a man. It came about with him and I having a casual conversation. He said, ‘I’m good with whatever role you want me in.’ He saw and agreed that there was a need in that second unit.”
Teague had eight points and eight assists. Reserves Keita Bates-Diop and Gorgui Dieng each scored 13.
“Gorgui was amazing. … When he’s given the opportunity, he goes out and makes magic happen,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 28 points and had 13 rebounds for Minnesota. “Jeff (Teague) is just a pro. He’s an amazing guy to have in the locker room. We’re in this to win. We’re not about individual accolades.”