MILWAUKEE — With all the problems the Milwaukee Bucks have endured with their sputtering start this season, the last thing coach Larry Krystkowiak needs is a non-existent bench.

That was the case Saturday night, even though the disappearing act by Bucks' reserves came in a 95-92 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Bradley Center.

The usual standbys of Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut and emerging rookie Yi Jianlian did their jobs in the victory.

Redd led the Bucks with 32 points and continued to demonstrate he can pass as well as shoot — at least at home — by distributing a team-best nine assists.

Bogut led the Bucks in rebounding with 13 rebounds and added five assists. Yi did a little bit of everything with a career-best 22 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter capped by a dunk with 15.6 seconds remaining that helped keep the Timberwolves at bay.

That was enough to offset the Timberwolves' three-headed monster of forward Craig Smith, center Al Jefferson and backup forward Ryan Gomes — the only Timberwolves to reach double figures in scoring.

Smith finished with 30 points and Jefferson added 23. But the most startling aspect of the victory was the lack of punch from any of the Bucks' reserves.

The five main players off the bench combined to hit just one field goal in 15 attempts, and only Jake Voskuhl and Charlie Bell managed to put points on the board. Bell had the only field goal, while Voskuhl hit two free throws.

"We're going to need to get our bench engaged again," Krystkowiak said, doing his best not to diminish a much-needed victory. "They are going to be a big part of whatever we do."

It didn't hurt that the Bucks were playing the team with the worst record in the NBA.

The Timberwolves dropped to 3-19 with the loss, their fourth in a row and ninth in their last 10 games. The Bucks improved to 10-13, including 8-2 at home.

"We have to keep getting wins, no matter how we do it," Bogut said.

The Bucks didn't show any ill-effects in the first quarter from Friday night's 104-82 loss at Boston, taking a 22-19 lead.

The most impressive statistic was their eight assists on eight baskets scored. Those starters played very little down the stretch of the loss to the Celtics, and the juice was there.

"They were a little charged up," Krystkowiak said. "They gave us everything we were looking for."

But offensive woes in the second quarter allowed the Timberwolves to head to the locker room with a 42-40 lead at the break.

The Bucks shot just four of 19 in the quarter and the Timberwolves were 10 of 22 from the field, with Gomes coming off the bench to hit five of eight shots en route to 12 points.

When the starters returned for the third quarter, the Bucks once again took command, grabbing a 66-58 lead after three quarters.

Redd supplied the firepower, scoring 15 points in the quarter, including a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

In the fourth quarter, it was Yi doing the damage, bouncing back from a game against the Celtics in which he had six turnovers in just 24 minutes.

As a team, the Bucks had just six turnovers against the Timberwolves. Yi didn't have any.

"He doesn't back down to anyone," Redd said of his teammate. "That's something I saw from him in training camp. I'm proud of his effort."