The Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets entered the second quarter of Monday night’s game at the Target Center in Minneapolis tied 24-24. Then the Timberwolves got to work.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit a three-pointer for the first points of the second frame. Donté DiVincenzo got a steal that led to a transition dunk for Rudy Gobert. DiVincenzo found Gobert later for another dunk, and DiVincenzo hit a 3-pointer on their next possession. Mike Conley helped create another steal for DiVincenzo, and at the other end, Naz Reid grabbed an offensive rebound and got a putback to cap a 12-2 Wolves run that came in just 2 minutes, 29 seconds of playing time. .

The Hornets called a timeout.

The Wolves extended that lead to 12 at halftime and 20 at the end of the third quarter. That same lineup opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run as Reid and Conley hit 3-pointers and Alexander-Walker hit a pair of free throws. The final result was convincing Victory 114-93 about the Hornets. The game was a prime example of the Wolves bench clicking early.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was asked about his bench after the game, and cited the pluses and minuses in the box score. Reid and DiVincenzo each recorded a game-best plus-33. Alexander-Walker was a plus-22. Rounding out the five-man lineup that dominated the game, Conley finished with a plus-20, while Gobert finished his night with a plus-15.

“They continually help us get the game started,” Finch said. “We have to find some rhythm with our starting group, but our bench has been huge, and all of them… I’m lucky, I have eight starters. I really have a lot of options to choose from there.”

Several of the Timberwolves’ bench units, particularly the second-unit lineup of Conley, Gobert, DiVincenzo, Alexander-Walker and Reid, have found their groove early, but the starting five haven’t always been on the same page.

Conley, Gobert, DiVincenzo, Alexander-Walker and Reid all have a plus-minus of plus-30 all season, which is the best of any five-man combination on the team. His offensive rating of 119.7 is the second-best of five-man combinations that have played at least three games, and his defensive rating of 74.2 is the fourth-best of five-man combinations that have seen three games. They average 33.3 assists per 100 possessions and have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.75.

Conley said the surplus of playmakers has made his job easier.

“We actually get excited when we all get into the game, and it’s like your little group of guys and you don’t know who’s going to be the guy, who’s going to score, who’s going to be the guy that’s going to have the moments,” Conley said.

Other lineup combinations have also stood out. Conley, Gobert, DiVincenzo, Reid and Jaden McDaniels, for example, are scoring 133.3 points per 100 possessions and have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.0. Gobert, DiVincenzo, Alexander-Walker, Reid and Anthony Edwards allow just 70.2 points per 100 possessions. Julius Randle, Alexander-Walker, Reid, DiVincenzo and Edwards are a plus-12, second best on the team, and have been efficient on both ends of the floor.

The starting eleven has not been as effective. The starting group has a season-long plus-minus of -13, a 111.4 offensive rating, a 120.3 defensive rating and by far the most turnovers of any five-man group with 35. It’s a work in progress integrating the new pieces, and some fit better than others, like Edwards and Randle, for example.

Randle’s physical presence and propensity to attack the paint have allowed Edwards more catch-and-shoot opportunities from the 3-point line. Finch said before the Hornets game that he would give that duo a B+ in five games. He’s pleased with his success in the pick-and-roll, the way Randle looks for Edwards in transition and how Randle can take some of the pressure off of Edwards. That duo has an offensive rating of 115.2, but Finch still sees room for improvement.

But the starting quintet as a whole has not managed to achieve everything. Randle’s skills are much different than Karl-Anthony Towns’, and spacing, particularly with Gobert in the position, remains a work in progress. McDaniels is overcoming some early season struggles. There are still things to resolve, but there are reasons to be optimistic.

“We have to get used to the spacing… how we could play better with each other, which will take time, and when we figure it out, we’ll combine it with how the second unit has momentum, that’s when you get a really, really good performance.” and consistent,” Conley said.