Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau isn't known for playing rookies, so it took longer than many people expected, but in the team's 10th game of the season on Sunday night, former Ohio State forward Keita Bates-Diop scored his first career points in the NBA.
With 7:41 remaining in the Timberwolves' 111-81 loss to the Portland Trailblazers, Bates-Diop followed up his own missed 3-point attempt, which was tapped out to to him, with a floater from just inside the free-throw line. He added a second 2-pointer and finished the game 2-for-7 with four points, two rebounds and his first career block in 12 minutes. He also picked up the first foul in his career.
Bates-Diop has only played in one other game this season after being selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft with the 48th overall pick. He averaged 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds last year for the Buckeyes en route to winning Big Ten player of the year honors.
