Anthony Edwards drilled a 3-pointer with 23.2 seconds left to cap a stunning fourth-quarter rally and lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 113-112 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday.
The Timberwolves closed the game on a 23-6 run that featured two 3-pointers apiece from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid and Edwards’ three-point play with 1:31 left that pulled Minnesota to within 110-108. Julius Randle added a driving dunk on the Timberwolves’ ensuing possession before Edwards’ pull-up 3-pointer erased what was a 106-90 deficit with 4:57 left.
Edwards scored 24 points. Randle had 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Donte DiVincenzo chipped in 22 points, Alexander-Walker and Reid combined for 25, all off the bench.
Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with a season-high 38 points but missed a pair of free throws in the final 69 seconds. Sengun grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds while Amen Thompson also posted a double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds). Fred VanVleet (18 points, six rebounds, seven assists) teamed with Sengun to score 19 points in a turnaround third period.
Houston played without Dillon Brooks (ankle) and Tari Eason (leg) and had its four-game win streak snapped. Thompson sandwiched a pair of dunks around two Jabari Smith Jr. 3-pointers to key a 12-2 run early in the fourth quarter that helped the Rockets surge to the double-digit advantage.
Edwards produced a sensational first quarter, tallying 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including a 3-for-3 showing from behind the arc. His coast-to-coast, buzzer-beating layup spotted the Timberwolves a 22-21 lead entering the second. Minnesota overcame six turnovers in the first.
Edwards’ teammates shot just 3-for-11 in the opening period. Randle and DiVincenzo came alive in the second, with Randle keying a 10-2 run to a 39-32 lead with five points. When DiVincenzo nailed a corner 3-pointer at the 6:28 mark, the Timberwolves led 45-36 with DiVincenzo, Edwards and Randle all with 13 points.
The Rockets responded to an Edwards baseline jumper with an 8-0 spurt to claw to within 52-50, and trailed by just five at the intermission despite 4-for-14 shooting from behind the arc.
–Field Level Media
