The entire Minnesota Timberwolves locker room showered rookie coach Ryan Saunders with praise (and water) following a debut win over the higher-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. A 119-117 close affair was enough for Karl-Anthony Towns to join in on the celebration, despite being “shocked” at the firing of his former coach Tom Thibodeau.
“He showed his whole coaching repertoire tonight,” said Towns, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “…He stayed as composed as anybody tonight. Gave us positive energy. Kept telling us to fight and kept making the right moves. He was playing chess the whole night and came out with checkmate.”
Despite Thibodeau's sudden firing, Saunders has been a locker room favorite since his time as an assistant under the former, and the 32-year-old exudes confidence and a fun-loving attitude this young team seems to embrace, making him a great coach to play for despite his inexperience at the helm of a team.
His father, the late Flip Saunders, was a staple in the Twin Cities and one of the most beloved personalities in the Timberwolves organization, but Ryan earned his opportunity after five years developing within the franchise and learning the position.
The Wolves took the court with a different spirit, even resulting in a season-best 40-point night for Andrew Wiggins, who had averaged about four free throws per game throughout the season, but went 16-of-18 from the stripe against the Thunder to help grab an iconic win for his new coach.
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