MILWAUKEE – Early in the second quarter of the Timberwolves’ tight game against the Bucks on Saturday night, Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo was being guarded by Luol Deng when he spun to the baseline and went up for a dunk.
Anticipating the move, Wolves forward Anthony Tolliver moved over, jumped, and stuffed Antetokounmpo.
The Wolves, playing without both Robert Covington and Karl-Anthony Towns, competed hard against the Bucks, owners of the NBA’s best record, before ultimately losing. But Tolliver’s block on Antetokounmpo was the exclamation point on another good night by the Wolves bench.
One of interim coach Ryan Saunders’ strengths since taking over the team has been his pragmatism, his willingness to respond to injury issues by going deep into his bench and give players who have spent much of the season sitting important minutes.