Anthony Edwards scored 29 points and made 7 out of 14 shots from three-point range as the Minnesota Timberwolves won 119-116 against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night in Minneapolis.
Julius Randle contributed 23 points, seven assists, and six rebounds for Minnesota. Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 14 rebounds, Naz Reid scored 16 points off the bench, and Jaden McDaniel added 10 points.
For Denver, Aaron Gordon led the way with 31 points and 11 rebounds. Nikola Jokic scored 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and made 13 assists, while Michael Porter Jr. also scored 26 points. Christian Braun chipped in with 14 points.
The Timberwolves were down by 10 points in the fourth quarter but finished strong with a 17-4 run to clinch the win.
Edwards made the key basket with a floating jump shot that gave Minnesota a 117-116 lead with 25.7 seconds remaining. Gobert then added two free throws with 10.1 seconds left to extend the lead to three points.
Jokic attempted a three-pointer from the right corner, but it missed in the final seconds.
Denver played the end of the game without guard Jamal Murray, who left in the third quarter after colliding with Randle. The Nuggets reported that Murray was put in the concussion protocol.
Even without Murray, Denver went on a strong 25-3 run to take a 112-102 lead with 4:17 left in the game. This run featured a highlight play by Braun, who jumped for a dunk over Gobert, the Timberwolves’ 7-foot-1 center.
After the dunk, Braun celebrated loudly and bumped his shoulder into Gobert. The Timberwolves’ big man was not pleased and pushed Braun away.
Both players received a technical foul after the officials reviewed the incident. The Timberwolves were ahead 91-85 at the end of the third quarter. Gordon made a three-pointer to give Denver a 71-69 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Randle quickly responded with a three-pointer, starting a 10-1 run for Minnesota. Gobert finished this run with an alley-oop dunk, putting the Timberwolves ahead 79-72 with 7:05 left in the quarter.
Minnesota led 64-61 at halftime. In the second quarter, the Timberwolves built a 16-point lead. Donte DiVincenzo passed to Gobert for a basket that put Minnesota ahead 49-33 with 7:18 to go.
The Nuggets responded with an 18-2 run to tie the game at 51-51 with 4:09 left in the half.
