LaMelo Ball, Bones Hyland react after Timberwolves beat Jazz 115-100

What's it like playing with Io that seems so simple for you? Io is a track star, which I call him the jet. He definitely gets out and runs. I love people who get out and run, for sure. I mean, he's easy to play with. Did you get to know him at all when you were playing with your brother? Yeah, for sure, for sure. Yeah, definitely that, too. What did he tell you about him? I mean, we all know each other. Yeah, it's all love. I made a lot more plays with your defense again tonight. How much pride are you taking in being the first taker on that end? Yeah, pretty much just listening to the coaches and doing the best I could. Thank you. What was different about that second half? What was different about that second half? I guess it's like you were able to pull away. What was different at all? Thank you very much. I think just sticking with it for real. I mean, as the game goes on, usually some might die out. Mel, what has your bench given you night in and night out? Oh, yeah, tonight definitely a good start for sure. I mean, we was lacking, and then they came in and pushed it up. So, yeah, they've been giving us some good moments. When Bones has it rolling like this, does it get kind of everyone some extra energy and juice? Yeah, for sure. I mean, when Bones is rolling, it's definitely easier. I mean, it's another point guard just getting to it, so it just opens the whole floor up and makes it that much easier. Melo, when was the last time you had it slammed up like that in a basketball game? Y'all are reporters. Y'all should know. No, no, no, no. I think it was January of last year. There you go, girl. Yeah, there you go. Do your job. There you go. It was sometime. I don't know. No. Are these games just kind of important when you don't have your best stuff as a group, like early, just to kind of grind it out? Yeah, I think every game is important. I mean, just winning and just trying to build something for the end. You know what I'm saying? You want to set yourself up for the middle of the season, the end of the season. So, obviously, every game counts. Coach, go ahead. What's the kind of night when you see the importance of the bench that's going to be hard for the starters to come out of the gates hot every night? Thank you very much. I feel like you always need your whole team. I mean, you know. That's why you've got a bench. That's why you have all these players and everything. It's basketball. Coach talked about this type of game where it's not necessarily the prettiest, but you guys figuring out making adjustments within the game when they were trying to make runs on you guys. What does it say about just the mentality of this team figuring it out on the fly rather than just relying on the staff? Yeah, pretty much what you just said, just figuring it out on the fly. That's big in just basketball, period. If you can do that, that's great for your team. So we've been trying to do it on the fly. Yeah, it's a great atmosphere. I mean, the fans is great. Being out here is amazing. And like I said, I love being at the crib. Cool, appreciate it. Homes, start of an eight game home stand. I mean, you play your best at home. What is it about this arena that gets your best game? Honestly, man, just it's the fans, man. I love it here, love playing in front of the fans. They give us juice, give us energy. So it's only right to give it back to them. You took a hard foul in that first quarter. Man, I wanted to dunk that ************. I know you did. Were you hurt at all? No, I wasn't hurt. I tried to hold off. I tried to get a little flagrant foul, you know what I'm saying, for sure. But I wanted to dunk that one. I wanted that one. Four in a row for you guys. What are you noticing during this stretch about how well this team is clicking and gelling right now? Man, everyone's sharing the ball, moving the ball, playing for one another. Just going out there and playing Wolves basketball. I think that's the beauty of us right now. We've got to keep it going, keep it rolling. The juices And the locker room is very high. so I think that's translating to the court, so I feel good. Hey, Bo, the coach was saying when you get downhill over and over again, that's what really gives this second unit energy. What's your approach for those opportunities? Honestly, man, just. Putting the ball in my hands more, just to get downhill more, create for myself, create for teammates. I think it opens up the floor, not only for myself, but for my teammates as well, too. Yeah, I'm very dynamic. I can do everything on the offensive end, so I feel like the more opportunities with that is the best for the team. Another blocked shot. Man, I'm trying to rack them up. I don't know why they get six, ten wingspan. They keep trying to get them all. I need that. So. Yo. You're often guarded by a guy like Jalen Clark, being sort of like harassed. I just said that to someone the other day, too. What is that like? This is another way to sort of say what that brings for you. When you're a guard and you're being sort of harassed. Honestly, I think it's a sign of respect. I'll be right back. I said that to one of my friends the other day, man. I'm always being guarded by the best defender when I check in. But I thrive in it. I love it. You know what I'm saying? That's just a sign of respect. It don't really bother me at all. When I check into the game, I'm already prepared for it. So I've been guarded by the best defenders my whole life, so they don't bother me. And then Jalen does that for you guys on the other side of the floor. Pesh, man. Pesh. We love Jalen, bro. As soon as he check in, he changes it. Their flow of their offense, he disrupts the passing lanes, the ball handling, their timing. He does a lot for us, man. We're thankful to have J.C. on our side. Last night in New Orleans, Finch said, we won playing not our best basketball, but we needed to have played our best basketball. Does that help us team in some way without injury? Yeah, for sure. The game's going to be ugly sometimes. Sometimes. Shots may not go in. The flow of the offense may not look how we want it to look. But I think down that stretch, that just shows us, you know, how... Locked in we is as a unit, down the stretch too, guys hitting big shots, guys getting downhill, creating for others. I think that showed, you know, Wolves basketball. So, you know, as long as we keep that going, we, you know, I think we're a threat to everyone. What do you see with Ayo and Melo together? Yeah, taking off, man. You know what I'm saying? That I told, you know, Ayo before the game, lead us out there. You know what I'm saying? I think he's taking in that role. He's thriving in it. You know, obviously Melo, just being Melo. I think it's a beauty for us, man. Creating for himself, creating for others. Yeah, it's a beauty. Bench doesn't usually play 10 guys, but you did tonight, you got to play a fair amount. What is it that makes the quality of the guys at bench so well? I think we just got a versatile unit. A lot of guys can check in, change the flow of the game, change the game. Yeah. Yeah, we still got guys that's injured too, so I think it's, I don't know, I just think we're really good, man. Like bench, the first unit, we got a lot of guys that can come in and change the game. You're one of the top defenses in the league as a team right now. We are? Yeah. You talk about that a lot in training camp as a team. Do you feel like it's not where it started? Yeah, for sure. I think, you know, I think. Coming into the season, a lot of people thought we were probably going to be small, which I think we may be on a paper, but I don't think we're out when we check into the game. We like to muck up the game. We like to get into the office of players, and we're just trying to help the bigs out on the rebounds, too, but I think we're just pests, you know what I'm saying? On the floor, we're just trying to be pests as best as we can. We watch a lot of film as a team. You know, I think the big thing is we want to let the coaches down and be on film. So I think that's, you know, a tribute to us as players just trying to, you know, be perfect out there. You guys got to make him go on with the mascot. We called him Batman. Play Batman. Yeah, yeah, for sure. I was, funny story, we was in the locker room and he had that mask, they told him he was going to wear it, he didn't take it off in the locker room. I said, Johan, you ain't even on the court right now, but you can take your mask off. But that's the first time he's wearing his mask, Booker knows, but he a warrior, bro. You know what I'm saying? Like, we love Johan, come in with young legs, he run the floor for us, block shots, he, you know, make shots, go left or right, you know what I'm saying? So, we love Johan. Do you feel like that whole second unit just has pieces that fit together well? Like, Johan, Jalen, you, TJ, like... It all comes together. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. You can just plug in guys into any unit. Like I said, we're very versatile. Plug in guys, and we just get the job done. I think that's a tribute to, you know, first, you know, GM just making sure, you know, guys like who's in the locker room and who's very versatile. So, yeah. Appreciate it.