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Trey Lyles was having a hard time getting going.

Against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, the Utah Jazz power forward started cold, going 1-of-6 from the field in the first half.

By the end of the night, however, his coach was calling it "one of his best" games as a pro.

"The reason this game was a significant one for him was because he didn't make shots," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "He got himself going on the offensive glass first. Then he drove the ball and was a playmaker. It's hard to do that."

Lyles' breakthrough came late in the third quarter, when he grabbed a rebound off a missed 3-pointer by George Hill and scored the put-back layup. A minute later, Lyles turned another missed 3 into a put-back slam.

"Just more recently, coach talked to me about how he wants me to attack the glass more often," Lyles said. "There's opportunity for me to make plays on the offensive glass, so I took that into account. It's really something I've been focused on lately."

The forward finished the night with 13 points and 10 rebounds. And while he only notched two assists, Snyder came away impressed with the 6-foot-10 sophomore's contributions on offense all the same.

"What he did tonight, the game slowed down for him," Snyder said. "He had his eyes out the whole time. He was making plays for his teammates. I know he can shoot the ball, but making plays for your teammates, that is what can make you a unique player. … It doesn't show up in his assists, but he had a lot of really good decisions and selfless plays."

'Away from the sideshows'

The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA. For proof of that, look no further than forward Andrew Wiggins' poster of Warriors center JaVale McGee on Saturday night or slam-dunk champ Zach LaVine's thunderous slam over Phoenix's Alex Len a couple of days earlier.

But that's not going to impress their new coach much.

"I don't get excited about stuff like that," Tom Thibodeau told reporters when asked about LaVine's jam this week. "I get excited about stuff that wins games. … I hope we can get to a point where we're talking about the things that go into winning and getting away from the sideshows."

Thibodeau and former Jazz assistant coach Scott Layden, now the Timberwolves general manager, have a talent-rich base upon which to rebuild the franchise. But with the Wolves sitting at 5-11 on the year, Thibodeau says there's a long way to go yet.

"I knew where we were going into the season, that's why I wanted the focus to be on improvement," he said. "If you took a hard look at the numbers and saw where we were, you knew there was a lot of work to be done."

"We have to close the gap," he added. "There's a lot of room when you finish 12 games out of a playoff spot and 40-something games out of first in the conference. There's a lot of work to be done."

Battling a bug

Hill's sprained thumb is on the mend, but the point guard was battling illness a day after Thanksgiving as he poured in 23 in a win over the Hawks.

"Feeling a little under the weather today, stomach was hurting, but anytime the guys play like that, it's fun out there," Hill said after the game. "I feel much better."

afalk@sltrib.com Twitter: @aaronfalk —

Jazz at Timberwolves

P At Target Center

Tipoff • Monday, 6 p.m. MST

TV • ROOT

Radio • 1280 AM, 97.5 FM

Records • Jazz 9-8, Wolves 5-11

Last meeting • The Jazz handed Minnesota a 98-85 defeat on April 1 in Salt Lake City.

About the Jazz • Improved to 3-0 with both Gordon Hayward and George Hill in the lineup after handling the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. … The Jazz, who held Atlanta to 68 points, have been the second best defense in the NBA this season, allowing 98.7 points per 100 possessions. … Shooting guard Rodney Hood had scored double-digits in 12 straight games, the longest stretch of his career, before finishing with 8 against the Hawks.

About the Wolves • Forward Andrew Wiggins and center Karl-Anthony Towns combine to average better than 44 points per game. … Roster includes former Jazzmen John Lucas III and Brandon Rush, both of whom played for Utah during the 2013-14 season. … Lost the season series with the Jazz 3-1 last year.