Minnesota was imperfect for much of Saturday’s contest in Charlotte, N.C.

The Timberwolves’ defense wasn’t up to snuff. They were thoroughly outrun in transition and — with Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels out with injuries — the wing play left a lot to be desired.

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges fouls Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

And yet the Wolves emerged with a 123-117 victory over the Hornets, largely thanks to their late-game execution. Because while Minnesota may be without its star wings, it does still have Mike Conley.

The Timberwolves made nine shots in the fourth frame — Conley scored or assisted on six of them. He orchestrated a series of easy looks late in the game, many of which ended up in Karl-Anthony Towns’ buckets.

But in the final 90 seconds, Minnesota had the ball up three points. The Wolves ran a terrible possession that lacked ball movement and ended in a difficult shot from Towns that bounced off the iron.

Rudy Gobert induced a stop on the other end, and on Minnesota’s next offensive trip, Conley got the ball with 12 seconds left on the shot clock. He ran a pick and roll with Gobert, got Charlotte center Nick Richards on his hip and pulled up for a bank shot that went down while also drawing the foul to essentially put the game on ice with 44 seconds to play.

Minnesota has struggled in the past with late-game execution that would even cost the team on nights where it outplayed the opponent. But Conley is a clutch-time maestro capable of flipping the script and turning losses into wins. The ability to achieve and maintain order in the final five minutes of a tight NBA contest is a skill to be savored.

Conley finished with 14 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. Most of Minnesota’s other production came via its bigs. Towns led the way with 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Naz Reid had 23 points off the pine. And in one of his best offensive showings of the year, Gobert finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds.

But, as is always the case with the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, his largest impact was felt on the defensive end. As impactful as Conley was offensively late in the game, Gobert was just as valuable of a deterrent. Two of his three blocks came in the game’s final seven minutes, including one with one minute to play to hold the Timberwolves’ advantage at three.

And he heavily impacted a couple other Charlotte misses around the rim in the closing minutes.

Minnesota’s veterans delivered late in a game in which the Wolves’ general performance left much to be desired. The Wolves weren’t their usual dominant defensive selves, allowing Charlotte (6-12) to shoot 48 percent from the floor and from distance. Part of the issue was that the athletic Hornets — who were sans LaMelo Ball — ran all over Minnesota to the tune of 20 fast-break points.

But Minnesota’s size and ability to close proved to be the difference. The Wolves (15-4) continue to demonstrate the mark of a good team — finding ways to win even when you’re not at your best.

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In the short term, these Timberwolves would be just fine without Anthony Edwards