Wolves rely on veterans to win home opener over Detroit

Flip Saunders denied any extra emotion.

But it had been a while. Nearly a decade, actually, since Flip Saunders last stalked the Target Center sideline as coach of the Timberwolves.

Thursday night, he made his return, on a team looking to the future, with a play that came from the past. Thaddeus Young's three-pointer from just left of the key with 88 seconds left broke a tie score, ignited a 9-3 Wolves finish and keyed a 97-91 home-opening victory over the Detroit Pistons in front of an announced crowd of 18,296. And it's only right that the pivotal play was a blast from the past.

"We went to an old play we used to run with Sam Cassell and [Kevin] Garnett," Saunders said. "We just ran it with Ricky Rubio and Young. And Thad hit that three."

A huge three, considering the Wolves had seen a 19-point lead late in the third quarter evaporate in the wake of an absurdly hot streak by Pistons reserve Caron Butler, who at one point from late in the third into the fourth quarter scored 12 points in 3 ½ minutes.

It was Butler's fourth and final three-pointer of the night that had tied the score for the final time just seconds earlier. And that's when Saunders called the old, familiar play. It was a pick and roll, with Young popping out and center Nikola Pekovic sealing things off inside. Rubio passed him the ball, and Young hit his second three of the game.

And the Wolves (1-1) never looked back, even if Saunders did.

Thursday, early in a season devoted to developing youth, Saunders went for the win with veterans. And they delivered. Moments after Young's three, Williams hit a running bank shot to push the lead to five and it was all but over.

Afterward Saunders — who improved to 10-0 in home openers with the Wolves — said he had the toughest job in the building. Namely, trying to decide which players get minutes each night. So while Zach LaVine made his pro debut, and while fellow rookie Andrew Wiggins appeared to hit a groove, scoring all eight of his points in the third quarter, it was the veterans he stuck with at the end. Sometimes, Saunders said, just as much can be learned by watching.

"We have some veterans who really know how this league works," said Rubio, who had 11 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. "They show the young guys how to do it."

Unfortunately, the Wolves almost let it slip away. Up a point at halftime, the Wolves surged to a 19-point lead with 2:36 left in the third. The charge was led by Pekovic, who shook off a slow start to finish with 17 points and 10 boards. He forced big Pistons center Andre Drummond into foul trouble in the process.

But most importantly, the Wolves held on when the game looked to be slipping away.

But they did. And Young provided them.

"I think it was a huge shot," Young said. "It definitely helped us win the game. … Tonight I just continued to have it going and continued to stay the course and just play solid."