Wiggins is bright spot in Wolves' home loss to Sacramento

His team had lost for the ­second time in two nights. For the seventh time in eight games. Four of his starters were out, with three not expected back any time soon.

And yet, Flip Saunders went to the podium after Saturday's 113-101 loss to Sacramento and was nearly cheerful.

There is a reason for this: Andrew Wiggins.

Injuries have decimated the Wolves' roster, ratcheting down expectations. Suddenly the season is all about development. On Saturday, the crowd of 13,191 saw a bunch of that.

"I'm not into moral victories," Saunders said. "But I am into moral development of our team and our players. I thought we did some of that today."

So forget for a moment DeMarcus Cousins' 31-point, 18-rebound performance for the Kings. Or that after leading by four at the half, the Wolves let the game get away in the third quarter. And remember, instead, Wiggins.

The rookie who has been carrying around huge expectations scored a career-high 29 points. He made nine of 22 shots and had five rebounds. He had four steals and was aggressive from start to ­finish, getting to the free throw line 10 times, making nine. He scored 20 points in the ­second half and 11 in the fourth quarter, when the Wolves managed to get within four points early in the quarter, within five a few times later.

"He played well," Saunders said. "He showed good energy. I don't want to say it was a coming-out party, but I think we saw some things that we expect out of him. We force-fed him a little bit. But he took initiative.''

Indeed, with just 10 healthy players for his rotation, Saunders used his eighth starting lineup in 12 games. And while the surprising Kings (8-5) proved too much, starting with ­Cousins, the Wolves' youth had its moments, too. Gorgui Dieng struggled to contain Cousins, but he had a double-double of his own. Anthony Bennett, making his second start of the season, scored in double figures in his second consecutive game for the second time in his career. But it was Wiggins who nearly stole the show. He got more aggressive as the game went on. He put the ball on the floor, attacked the rim.

"I feel comfortable," said Wiggins, whose three-point shot midway through the fourth quarter pulled the Wolves within five. "It's a learning process.''

Others were impressed.

"Man, I like Wiggins," ­Cousins said. "I told him at the end of the game he's going to be a special player. And I like Anthony Bennett as well. … The Timberwolves got two special players. I like the young boy Zach [LaVine] as well. They've got a nice young core. They're going to be something special."

With a short bench and hoping to protect Dieng, the Wolves used a variety of zones. But ultimately they couldn't slow down either Cousins or the Kings. But there was also promise.

"He's gaining confidence," Saunders said of Wiggins. "The team is calling for him and showing more trust and confidence in him. And he's feeding off that.''

But it's still a process. Asked if he would remember this game, Wiggins shook his head. Not in a loss, he said. Nobody remembers losses. But, when told his 29 points were the highest by a rookie this season, he smiled.