Anthony Edwards scored 30 points on 11-for-21 shooting, and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away for a 138-116 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night in Minneapolis.
Julius Randle notched a triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for Minnesota, which bounced back from a 19-point loss one day earlier against the Los Angeles Clippers. Ayo Dosunmu scored 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting off the bench in his second game since joining the Timberwolves at the trade deadline.
CJ McCollum scored 38 points on 12-for-25 shooting to lead Atlanta, which lost its second game in a row. Nickeil Alexander-Walker registered a double-double against his former team with 23 points and 12 rebounds.
The Timberwolves shot 55 of 92 (59.8%) from the field and 16 of 42 (38.1%) from beyond the arc. The Hawks shot 40 of 99 (40.4%) overall and 14 of 45 (31.1%) from 3-point range.
Minnesota raced to an 81-56 lead at the half and cruised to the lopsided victory.
The Timberwolves scored 41 points in the first quarter and 40 more in the second against a Hawks team that was short-handed and outpaced. Edwards had 21 points by halftime.
Zaccharie Risacher converted a three-point play with a dunk and a free throw to cut the Hawks’ deficit to 54-48 with 6:49 remaining in the first half.
Minnesota responded with a 25-4 run to seize a 79-52 lead with two minutes to go before the break. Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels combined to score the final 11 points of the run, with Dosunmu scoring seven and McDaniels scoring four.
The Hawks played better in the third quarter but still trailed by 19 entering the final 12 minutes. Alexander-Walker hit a turnaround, fadeaway jump shot to cap the third-quarter scoring for Atlanta.
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta’s top scorer, was a late addition to the injury report and did not play because of a knee injury. Johnson is averaging 23.4 points and 10.6 rebounds, both of which are career highs, in his fifth NBA season.
–Field Level Media
