MINNEAPOLIS -- Head Timberwolves athletic trainer Gregg Farnam felt his way around Thaddeus Young's neck and shoulder area, the Target Center lights dimmed as a man dressed in a gymnast's suit danced on top of a large metal cargo box for halftime entertainment.
It was an eerie scene after Minnesota's starting power forward took a hard, inadvertent elbow to the head from Jimmy Butler shortly before halftime Saturday night. After sitting groggily in front of the Wolves bench well into the break, Young eventually got up and walked to the training room under his own power.
He didn't return.
Anthony Bennett didn't see what happened. But his objective since being traded from Cleveland to Minnesota this offseason -- along with Young in the Kevin Love exchange -- has been to remain prepared at all times.
"Whenever coach calls me up, I try to be ready," Bennett said. "I just try to go out there contribute -- if it's rebounding, making plays, scoring points or just trying to stop my man on defense. Whatever it takes."
Leaving a disappointing rookie season in which he averaged 4.3 points and three rebounds in the Northeast Ohio dust, Bennett's exhibited that mindset since setting foot in the Twin Cities. He did it again Saturday, putting the Wolves in position to come within inches of a 16-point comeback victory over NBA Finals contender Chicago.
The Bulls eventually won, 105-104, on a pair of Butler free throws with 0.2 seconds left on the clock, but not until after Bennett spurred a second-half turnaround in front of a sellout crowd of 19,356.
"He doesn't let things get in his way," Saunders said.
The 6-foot-8, 240-pound Ontario native affectionately dubbed "Big Daddy Canada" by the locals filled in for Young with 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and five rebounds. He scored half his points in the third quarter on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting, igniting an 18-6 Wolves run that eventually brought them back from trailing by as many as 16 in a lackluster second quarter.
Bennett's left-elbow jumper midway through the third made it 69-65. He stole the ball away from Joakim Noah on Chicago's next possession and set up a pair of Nikola Pekovic free throws.
And with 23.9 seconds left and Minnesota down 104-102, Bennett blocked a Pau Gasol shot to force a shot-clock violation. Kevin Martin's 3-pointer at the other end made it 105-104 and nearly gave the Wolves (1-2) an early-season signature win.
But rookie Andrew Wiggins, from the same metro area and AAU ilk as Bennett, fouled Butler on a last-second jumper try. Butler's two swishes at the stripe gave Derrick Rose-less Chicago (2-1) a hard-fought win a night after falling in overtime at Cleveland.
"We knew he had a rough year last year, and he's been amazing for us," Martin, who scored a game-high 33 points, said of Bennett. "He put last year behind him. He came in, and he's giving us good effort."
Saturday wasn't exactly a revelation.
Hailed as the biggest surprise of training camp by Saunders, Bennett averaged 10 points on 49 percent shooting and 5.8 rebounds in six preseason games. He played about 14 minutes in each of the Wolves' first two regular-season games, tallying a combined 13 points on 50 percent shooting.
Bennett dropped weight this summer thanks to a rigorous training program and came back healthier and in much better shape than he'd been in the Cavaliers' training camp last year. He's had five operations since the start of his NBA career -- some to repair injuries, the others to help ease symptoms of sleep apnea and asthma.
"You're talking about a guy that, a year ago, everyone was writing this kid off," Saunders said. "The kid comes in, plays 20 minutes, gets 12 and five, does a very good defensive job on Gasol."
Young, meanwhile, was diagnosed with a neck strain and will be further evaluated in the coming days. He spent the second half in the training room but was in good enough shape to greet his teammates after the contest.
That's a lot better than he looked initially. Chasing a loose ball in the corner, Young's body went limp in mid-air the second Butler's elbow collided with Young's left temple.
"You never want to see that," Martin said.
At that point, the Wolves trailed 63-49. By the end, Young's departure had become one of several key developments.
The day after signing a four-year, $55 million extension, point guard Ricky Rubio tied his own franchise record with 17 assists but fouled out with 1:13 left, bridling Minnesota's late comeback efforts. Butler scored a team-best 24 points to complement Noah and Pau Gasol's tandem frontcourt work.
And then there was the final sequence, a teaching moment for Wiggins as the No. 1 overall pick adjusts to the NBA. Playing the first fourth-quarter minutes of his career, Wiggins left his feet when Butler rose for a jumper and made contact. Wiggins and Saunders both agreed the small forward should've stayed on the floor and kept himself between Butler and the basket -- especially after Butler fell and nearly lost possession.
"It was a good play by a veteran player, and a learning experience for me," said Wiggins, who finished with eight points on 3-of-10 shooting and six boards. "I could've changed the outcome of the game. . . . It hurt, but the good thing about the NBA is I've got another game in a couple days."
Furthermore, these are the kind of tests Saunders can't administer to his young core in practice. Wiggins is still studying. Bennett, so far, is passing.
Now comes another, more extended trial, however. Minnesota played its last game at the Target Center till Nov. 19, a span of 19 days that rank as the longest gap between "true" home games in franchise history. Road dates with Brooklyn, Orlando, Miami, New Orleans and Dallas and a neutral-site game in Mexico City against Houston will surely test the youngsters' mettle, Saunders said.
"I have four kids that I raised over 22," Saunders said. "I'm raising some more now."
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