It was just one game. A skidding Washington team was the perfect opponent. The Wolves already were improving thanks to their return to health. But if you've watched the Wolves enough in the past decade, you know this: The Wolves haven't played defense like that since KG left.

That's hyperbole, since you could pick out some game in the last eight years where the numbers say the Wolves' defense was better. But in the broader sense, they have not played D like that since Garnett left: closing out on shooters, communicating on screens and contesting every shot.

local connection Xavier Rathan-Mayes, the Florida State basketball player who scored 30 points in less than five minutes, was a high school teammate of Andrew Wiggins.

TV hit Wednesday's Wolves game, with KG's return, was the highest-rated of the season on Fox Sports North.