On cue, the Timberwolves were going through their typical third-quarter swoon Wednesday night.
What began as a seven-point Wolves lead coming out of halftime was completely gone within the first three minutes of the third. This lull has become the norm for the Wolves, who have the third-worst net rating (-11.2) in third quarters in the league.
But there was a difference Wednesday night that hadn't been there in recent weeks, and the Wolves regrouped to carry a four-point lead into the fourth quarter of what became a seven-point win — Taurean Prince was on the floor.
Prince was back from a 20-game absence because of a shoulder injury, and he showed how the Wolves missed him as an integral part of their bench.
Prince hit his three-shot attempts in the third for seven important points. Two of his baskets helped a tie game become a six-point Wolves lead late in the quarter to carry that momentum to the fourth.
"He was our most consistent player in a lot of ways in his role, when he went out," coach Chris Finch said. "I knew what I was going to get from him every night. He knows who he is. His game is super well-defined and he sticks to his strengths, so definitely pleased to have him back."
Prince brought more than just his scoring. He defended well, took charges and Finch noted how many "50-50 balls" Prince wound up getting. Instead of having to rely on younger players to navigate this stretch of the season with multiple injuries, Finch and the Wolves now have a trusted veteran back.
"He's the vet that we was missing, man," Anthony Edwards said. "He do all the little things, take charges, dive on the floor for loose balls. He brings energy."
Initially, Finch said the Wolves were going to be without Prince, who suffered a right shoulder subluxation in a game against Indiana on Nov. 23, for one to two weeks. But Prince needed about a month more than that timeline to make it back to the court. When asked about the timeline for his return, Prince declined to go into specifics.
"We obviously thought it would be something, but it was something else," Prince said. "That's really irrelevant. I'm back now. So, we good money."
Prince stayed consistent with his rehab process, which included 7:45 a.m. wake-up calls and plenty of lifting. Prince had surgery on his ankle a few offseasons ago, so he was mentally prepared for the rigors of rehab, and it felt good for him to get back on the floor. He sensed he could help this team, which has struggled without him, and Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordan McLaughlin, each nursing calf injuries.
"I feel like I bring a presence that's infectious," Prince said. "So I guess that's something that plays to our benefit when I'm able to play. The most important thing was getting the 'W.' Wasn't really worried about my shots or anything."
The Wolves could use his shooting; he's at 39% from three-point range for the season.
But Prince has provided more than some shooting pop during his Wolves tenure. He's a voice in the locker room, a role he can resume now that he's playing again. He's a solid presence on both ends of the floor and someone who can help the Wolves win, as Wednesday demonstrated.
"I definitely like my role on this team," Prince said. "I've embraced it, which can be hard to do at times. It's easy when you come to work with a bunch of guys like the ones I have as teammates.
"Make no mistake about it, I want to be out there on the floor and be able to help my team win. But when I am off, I don't like to pout or do anything that's negative that may fall in to the lap of the young guys or let any of them see that."
