Wolves Notes: Reid, Dosunmu, DiVincenzo, Garnett

The Timberwolves lost Thursday night at Detroit, but there’s hope that Naz Reid may have finally broken out of his prolonged slump, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Reid scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds in 31 minutes while shooting 4-of-9 from three-point range as Minnesota put up a fight against the East’s top team before falling by five points.

“I’m dealing with some injuries and just trying to make things happen,” Reid said. “Just trying to compete at a high level and do what I can do.”

Reid, who captured Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2024 and finished fifth in the voting last season, has been an important element of the Wolves’ success with his play off the bench. That has been lacking lately, Krawczynski notes, as he was shooting 21% from beyond the arc over his previous 14 games and had only reached six rebounds three times during that span.

Krawczynski states that Reid seemed to be “sulking” during Monday’s game at Dallas, lacking his normal effort on defense and hanging his head every time he was called for a foul. Ayo Dosunmu made an effort to get the ball to Reid late in that game, and the positive effects appeared to carry over.

“I thought he was really good defensively and active on the glass. … I thought he was really active, especially in that second quarter,” coach Chris Finch said. “As it is, then he started making shots.”

There’s more on the Wolves:

• Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reveals what Reid said to referee Scott Foster last week to earn a quick ejection and a $50 fine for “questioning the integrity of game officials.” Sources tell Mannix that after a call went against Minnesota in overtime of a game against Houston, Reid snapped at Foster, “Ya’ll need to stop cheating, bro,” which crosses the line of what players are permitted to say.
• Dosunmu posted a triple double on Monday with 18 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists, leading Michael Rand of The Star-Tribune (subscription required) to speculate on whether he belongs in the starting lineup ahead of Donte DiVincenzo when the team is fully healthy.
• After announcing in December that franchise legend Kevin Garnett would rejoin the organization as a team ambassador and have his number retired, the Wolves revealed Friday morning that the retirement ceremony will take place next season. Garnett will also be part of Fan Appreciation Night on April 12, marking his first appearance at Target Center since 2018. “I can’t wait to come home,” he said. “Coming back for me is about what’s next. I’ve spent time with (new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez), and you can feel the difference. The energy is real. The vision is real. They’re building something that lasts, with a team on the court that’s hungry to win. I’m excited to be back in the building with the fans. Minnesota, let’s go!”