Before Monday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said he didn’t feel like his team was playing with typical defensive competitiveness early on, something he believes needs to change.

The Wolves showed they were competitive on defense and weren’t too shabby offensively as they controlled a game from start to finish with a 114-93 win over the Hornets on Monday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis .

The Hornets (2-5) never led again after the first quarter. The Timberwolves lineup of Mike Conley, Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Naz Reid and Rudy Gobert was tied 24-24 early in the second quarter and opened the second with a 13-2 run.

The Wolves (4-3) never looked back.

They had a 12-point lead at halftime, which increased to 20 points by the end of the third quarter. The same lineup that opened the game with a 13-2 run in the second quarter opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run, paving the way for the Wolves to compete against their young players. Rob Dillingham in particular received a big ovation from the audience when he checked in.

The Wolves held the Hornets to just 40% shooting from the field and 24% from 3-point range. Charlotte turned the game over 14 times and star guard LaMelo Ball finished with just 19 points on 6-for-15 shooting, two assists and two boards.

Red was a real talisman for the Wolves, scoring a game-high 25 points and grabbing nine boards. He shot 9 of 13 from the field, including 5 of 7 from 3. Anthony Edwards finished the game with 21 points and five rebounds. DiVincenzo had a strong game on both ends off the bench, finishing the game with 14 points, five boards, three and two steals.

The Timberwolves only used an eight-man rotation until they checked in all the young players during garbage time. Dillingham had some time to shine, finishing the game with four points and two assists in nine minutes.

The Wolves return to action on Thursday when they visit the Chicago Bulls at 7 p.m.