NEW YORK – With 4 minutes, 22 seconds remaining in the third quarter, and the Timberwolves down 21 to the Knicks on Monday, coach Chris Finch pulled his break-glass-in-case-of-emergency substitution off the bench.
In came Jordan McLaughlin, who had an instant impact on the game. Within two minutes, McLaughlin had two steals and five points and he led a Wolves surge late in the third and early in the fourth that nearly brought them all the way back in their 112-108 loss to the Knicks.
If there's a lasting effect Monday's game might have on the Wolves' season, it could mark the moment McLaughlin becomes a more regular part of the rotation.