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The Timberwolves' Electrifying New Guard Duo Has an Official Nickname

The "Twin Turbos" are coming to an NBA arena near you.
Will Ragatz|
Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland have injected life into the Timberwolves' attack.
Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland have injected life into the Timberwolves' attack. | Bob DeChiara, Imagn Images

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Minnesota Timberwolves

Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland have electrified the Timberwolves' offense recently, becoming fan favorites for their attacking styles and the joy with which they play. And now the duo has an official nickname: "Twin Turbos."

"Elite," Hyland said. "I ain't gon' lie, that name so fire. It fit us so perfectly. It's the official name. Need some merch coming soon."

"That's dope," said the slightly less boisterous Dosunmu. "I like it. That's tough."

Like the nickname suggests, Hyland and Dosunmu have been some of the primary engines of the Wolves' offense lately, especially while Anthony Edwards has missed time due to a knee injury.

Most recently, they were the catalysts of a primetime upset win on Sunday in Boston. Hyland tied his season high with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting off the bench, marking his fifth 20-point game since the calendar flipped to 2026. Dosunmu, who the Wolves acquired at the trade deadline, put up 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

They've both been outstanding in the four games Ant has missed so far, as shown in their per-game numbers:

  • Dosunmu: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1 steal, 50% shooting, 47% from 3
  • Hyland: 20 points, 2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1 steal, 53% shooting, 45% from 3

"Playing free, playing with pace, being aggressive, trying to make the right play," Rudy Gobert said of the two guards. "I think that's the brand of basketball we want to play. Their energy has been contagious."

Bones Hyland
Bones Hyland | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Hyland's resurgence has been one of the cooler stories of the season in Minnesota. The former first-round pick was close to falling out of the league last year, playing in only 20 games for the Clippers before being traded to the Hawks, who promptly waived him. He then signed a two-way deal with the Wolves and briefly spent some time in the G League. This summer, Hyland was pondering a move overseas before inking a deal to return to Minnesota.

Early in the season, Hyland was in and out of the rotation for Chris Finch. But he's earned a somewhat consistent role since December and is currently playing perhaps the best basketball of his career. The 80 points he's scored in the last four games are his most in a four-game span since November 2022, when he was with the Nuggets. His lively personality, bucket-getting ability, and signature three-point celebration have endeared him to Timberwolves fans. Even when Edwards returns to full health, Hyland's rotation role isn't going away.

Meanwhile, Dosunmu has been a home run acqusition since the Wolves got him from the Bulls before the trade deadline. In 18 games with Minnesota, he's averaged 13.2 points on 52/43/87 shooting splits. He's also shown the ability to scale up into a larger role, recording three straight games with at least 17 points, 8 boards, and 6 assists. Dosunmu can score at all three levels, but his best trait might be his willingness to attack downhill and get to the rim for layups. Both Dosunmu and Hyland love to get out and run in transition, which is something the Wolves have lacked at times under Finch.

Like the Minnesota Lynx's "StudBudz" duo of Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, Ayo and Bones aren't the best players on the roster. However, they're highly important because of the pace, scoring, playmaking, and joy they bring to the floor. Hyland has basically become what the Wolves hoped Rob Dillingham would be, while Dosunmu has stepped into the void left by Nickeil Alexander-Walker's departure last summer.

Moving forward, there are some interesting questions to ask involving the Twin Turbos. For example, should Dosunmu start over Donte DiVincenzo when Edwards is healthy? And are the Wolves going to be able to keep both of them around as unrestricted free agents in the summer?

For now, the focus is just on the energy and buckets they can continue to provide during Edwards' ongoing absence. They're going to be needed again on national television in Wednesday night's game against the Rockets and Saturday's game against the Pistons.

Time to rev up those engines again.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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