Timberwolves notes: Nathan Knight is the next man up among the bigs

It was about this time last year that the Timberwolves needed to turn to Nathan Knight off their bench. With a team down several players because of COVID-19, the Wolves turned to Knight, who was then on a two-way contract.

He helped them get through a two-week period as the rest of the team healed.

This season, Knight, a forward/center, is buried even deeper on the depth chart because the Wolves have Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert to play center and then Naz Reid to fill in as their backup.

But in Sunday's game against the Bulls, Towns was already out, Gobert was nursing a sprained ankle. Then Reid was out after hurting the trapezius muscle in his back and neck area. That meant it was time for Knight to get more minutes.

He delivered with 16 points in 26 minutes.

"I'm just coming in and just staying true to myself, staying true to my work," Knight said. "I wouldn't be where I am without the player development staff. The strength and conditioning staff you know, the neuroscience staff. All those guys are keeping me even-keeled and keeping me ready for my opportunity."

Knight played significant minutes for the Wolves in a seven-game stretch in late December and early January and averaged 7.1 points as several players navigated COVID protocols.

He played 11 minutes and scored 10 points in Friday's win over Oklahoma City before filling in for even more minutes on Sunday. Knight looked like a natural running the pick and roll at the top of the key.

"It's a little bit of talking, a little bit of film, just really get to know these guys on and off the court," Knight said. "Just having those conversations. This is our lives, so when we're not on the court, we're off the court, speaking basketball. We're talking where we'd like to get the ball, how would like to set each other up to be successful."

Anthony Edwards said Knight's energy gave the Wolves a lift and he credited Knight with opening up the floor for him on his was to 37 points.

"Nate was rolling, drawing all the attention, I was able to hit the corner," Edwards said. "I know they got tired of him dunking the ball, so second half they started rotating early. I was just hitting the corner every time, and then I hit Nate a couple times on the roll."

Knight has been competing for minutes with Reid and with two-way player Luka Garza, but he credited both for helping him improve. He added that Reid was one of his best friends on the team, and without Reid, Knight wouldn't be the player he is today.

"You see each other succeed as well," Knight said. "... We've gotten extremely close in my two years here in Minnesota. And like, it's a lot easier than you would think, you know, being in the same position. We have the same agent. Just that relationship that me and him have been able to build is something I can't really encapsulate in a couple of words. It's amazing."

The Wolves' injury report got a big longer after Sunday's game against the Bulls. Kyle Anderson was a late addition to it and then ended up missing the game because of back spasms that have lingered since the beginning of the season. Anderson took a hard fall on his back in Sunday's game. Coach Chris Finch said Anderson has been playing through pain.

"He's been playing through some soreness and some tightness there. I was actually surprised he didn't rule himself out the two previous games," Finch said. "I've been trying to keep his minutes lower and runs shorter as a result. He's giving us everything he's got right now."

Gobert missed his third straight game because of a sprained ankle. D'Angelo Russell (left knee contusion) entered the night as a game-time decision again after playing Sunday but was in the lineup. Reid came in as probable and was available to play.