Anthony Edwards poured in 34 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves cruised past the Denver Nuggets for a 133-104 win on Saturday in Minneapolis.
Edwards also had nine assists for Minnesota, which shot a stunning 55.8 percent from the field (53 of 95). Seven Timberwolves had scoring totals in double figures, including Julius Randle (21), Rudy Gobert (14), Jaden McDaniels (13) and Naz Reid (13).
Gobert added 14 rebounds to complete a double-double.
Jamal Murray paced Denver with 25 points. Nikola Jokic failed to record his sixth straight triple-double, collecting 20 points, three boards and 11 assists. Russell Westbrook and Aaron Gordon chipped in 13 points apiece as the Nuggets lost for just the second time in 10 games.
The Timberwolves scored at will in the third quarter, putting up 38 points on 14-of-21 shooting in the period to take a 109-91 lead into the fourth.
One sequence in the third was especially demoralizing for Denver, which was within 91-77 at the time. Gobert corralled a pair of offensive rebounds to keep a single possession alive for the Timberwolves, and his work on the glass paid off when Edwards drilled a 3.
Edwards racked up 16 points in the third.
Denver trailed by at least 18 for the entirety of the fourth.
Jokic had 13 points and four assists in the first quarter, but Minnesota managed to escape the frame with a 40-31 lead.
The Timberwolves’ advantage grew to 45-34 thanks to a Rob Dillingham 3-pointer with 9:32 to go in the second quarter before Denver rattled off eight straight points.
Minnesota later put together a 9-2 run for a 12-point lead with 2:42 remaining. Westbrook got the Nuggets’ deficit into single digits at 64-55 with seven points in a span of 1:19, but the Timberwolves ended up going into the break ahead 71-60.
Jokic did not score in the second quarter.
–Field Level Media
