One of the keys to the Wolves beating the Lakers in the playoffs last season was their ability to limit Austin Reaves. But Reaves played well Friday in scoring 25 points and dishing out 11 assists. Rui Hachimura also had a good night, with 23 points on 10-for-13 shooting.
“Guys started getting open ones, and it just felt like target practice for them,” DiVincenzo said. “It goes back to the effort. We can do multiple things on the defensive end, be in different coverages, we can get back if our energy is high and our competitive spirit is high. It wasn’t where we know it should be and where it needed to be tonight.”
For most of the night, Finch again went 10 deep into his bench and second-year guard Rob Dillingham was not in that rotation. Finch again opted for Bones Hyland for backup point guard minutes when Mike Conley picked up three fouls in the first half.
Dillingham, the No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft, came into the game for his first minutes of the season when the Wolves were down 117-98 with 8:06 to play.
But after two possessions, he had to exit because of a bloody nose, ending his night after just 59 seconds. His bloodied jersey was lying on the floor of the locker room when reporters walked in and said doctors told him he had suffered a fracture. It’s unclear how much time, if any, he will miss.
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