Reusse: Saunders puts victory ahead of development in home opener

The Timberwolves took a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's home opener against Detroit. Second-year players Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad and Anthony Bennett were included in coach Flip Saunders' five at the start of the period.

Corey Brewer replaced Muhammad with 9 minutes, 20 seconds left in the fourth. Nikola Pekovic came in 10 seconds later for Dieng. Thaddeus Young replaced Bennett with 7:18 left.

That was the last the announced crowd of 18,296 saw of the Wolves' much-publicized youth movement. Dieng, Muhammad and Bennett totaled a fraction over 10 minutes in the decisive final period. Rookie starter Andrew Wiggins did not play in the fourth.

The remaining 50 minutes of playing time in that last period were divided among six veterans: Brewer (28 years old), Pekovic (28), Young (26), Kevin Martin (31), Mo Williams (31) and Ricky Rubio, in his fourth season and who just turned 24.

"We're trying to develop here, but we also need positive reinforcement with wins," Saunders said.

Caron Butler, Detroit's 34-year-old, 13-year veteran, had gotten slightly crazed putting in shots starting at the end of the third quarter. By the time Bennett came to the sideline, the Wolves lead was down to 80-77.

Detroit kept coming and Butler finally tied it on a three-pointer at 88-88 with 2 ½ minutes left. This had turned into one of those notorious fourth-quarter meltdowns, which were a Wolves trademark for much of last season.

Martin's rebound and two free throws put the lead at six and the Wolves wound up with their positive reinforcement: a 97-91 victory that put Saunders at 10-0 in home openers as the Wolves coach.

The first nine of those came with Kevin Garnett as his star. This one came with … well, a puzzling mix of veterans and youth, with Young as Flip's best player for now, and with Williams and Martin the least-reluctant to take big shots.

That threesome had 15 of the Wolves' 22 points in the fourth quarter. That was one less than Butler scored in the quarter for Detroit.

"Caron Butler was trying to beat you," someone said to Williams in the home locker room.

Mo smiled and said: "Caron … that's my boy. He's like family. We have the same agent. And we played together in L.A. with the Clippers."

Butler finally shot an air ball from three-land with 26 seconds left and that did it.

The Wolves are 1-1, with rugged Chicago coming to town Saturday, and then a six-game, 2 ½-week road trip that will take them from Brooklyn to Mexico City and points in between.

No wonder Saunders was willing to ride the veterans in the search for positive reinforcement. Williams was asked about the kids sitting and the veterans getting the duty in the fourth quarter.

"That would be a question to ask Flip," he said. "The attitude here is we're going to play when our name is called."

Williams, the 6-1 guard, is in his 12th season. Asked about taking big shots in the stretch time, he said:

Williams was brought in from Milwaukee to Cleveland in 2008, in an attempt to give LeBron James some of the help needed to win a title. Mo was an All-Star that first season and was still there when LeBron took his title pursuit to Miami in the summer of 2010.

It was mentioned to Williams that Cleveland had lost on Thursday night, in LeBron's comeback game.

"Really? They had about seven concerts leading up to the game," he said. "Maybe that was the problem."

Mo laughed slightly and said: "The Cavs are going to be good. It's one game, people … one game."

For Saunders, it was one win in his comeback season as Wolves coach, and he wanted it enough to put development aside for an evening.