WASHINGTON, D.C. – Timberwolves point guard Mo Williams returned for Tuesday's game at Washington after missing the previous six because of back issues. He played 14-plus minutes, made two of six shots, scored six points and didn't sound all that assured about his return.

"It's a struggle," he said. "I'll get it taken care of. We're going to take the proper steps to get it back to 100 percent. I think that's the best thing."

Wolves coach Flip Saunders was pleased to have him back for a 109-95 loss to the Wizards. Williams' presence enabled Saunders to limit rookie Zach LaVine to fewer than 34 minutes and kept Corey Brewer from playing out of position as a backup point guard, a spot where Brewer filled in admirably with games of eight and nine assists his previous two times out.

"It helped a little bit," Saunders said.

"We played Mo 14 minutes, we have to keep him at that. I was surprised he played as well as he did. He did some positive things."

Williams isn't willing to attribute his recent back spasms to those 35- and 40-minute games he played during a two-week stretch as a starter, which ended with 39 minutes against Philadelphia on Dec. 3.

Saunders acknowledged Tuesday he needs to limit Williams to 15 minutes or so a game for now. Williams didn't sound all that certain of where he goes with his back from here. The Wolves did not practice Wednesday, but will do so in Boston on Thursday before facing the Celtics on Friday, Williams' 32nd birthday.

"Whenever I get into some activity, moving around, getting up and down, it kind of goes backwards," he said. "We just have to get this thing rectified."

Unstoppable

Forward Thaddeus Young made nine of 10 shots from the field and scored 19 of his season-high 29 points in Tuesday's third quarter, when the Wolves knocked a 14-point, first-half deficit down to just three in the quarter's final 30 seconds. The Wizards extended their lead to 20 points in the fourth quarter on their way to their ninth victory in 10 games, while the Wolves lost for the ninth time in 10.

Those nine made field goals tied a Wolves record for most made in any quarter, reached most recently by Wally Szczerbiak in April 2003. Young's 19 points scored were the most by a Wolves player in any quarter this season, surpassing the 18 that LaVine scored Nov. 28 against the Lakers in Los Angeles. Wizards coach Randy Wittman called Young "unbelievable" in that third quarter.

"I would always say things like that are a long time coming for a player who hasn't had a fairly good stretch of games," Young said. "I've been kind of off lately. You have those types of games where you come out and you're hot all of a sudden. Hopefully, I can keep going and we can get some wins."

Young averaged 13.3 points in 11 previous games back with the team following his mother's death last month.

Missed opportunities

Young would have challenged his career-high 32 points scored for Philadelphia in a 2010 game against Toronto if he hadn't missed seven of 12 free throws. The Wolves made only 20 of 35 all night and went 9-for-20 in that third quarter.

"I think it's about getting back in the gym and basically getting back into rhythm," Young said.

"They were all short. I started shooting a couple little long, but I just need to get my rhythm back down, that's all."

Etc.

• While Saunders gave the team Wednesday off and sent them on a field trip to the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, injured point guard Ricky Rubio found a gym to get in some running and shooting as he works his way back from an ankle severely sprained on Nov. 7.

Saunders said Tuesday he is hopeful Rubio can return to some practice work with teammates next week.

• Williams, when asked by a Washington reporter about the similarities and difference between playing with a younger LeBron James in Cleveland once upon a time and rookie Andrew Wiggins now: "One's from Akron and one's from Canada."