Anthony Edwards recorded 44 points, seven assists and five rebounds to help the Minnesota Timberwolves post a 116-98 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.
Donte DiVincenzo scored 24 points on a season-high eight 3-pointers and also had a career-best six steals as Minnesota won for just the third time in the past nine games.
Julius Randle, returning after a 13-game absence due to a right groin strain, scored 20 points and Jaden McDaniels added 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals for the Timberwolves.
The splurge marked Edwards’ sixth effort of 40 or more points this season. He made six 3-pointers in his return after drawing a one-game suspension for technical foul accumulation (16).
Kevin Durant registered 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns, who lost for the 11th time in the past 14 games. Bradley Beal scored 18 points and Devin Booker had 17 for Phoenix.
Beal missed the previous two games with a left calf injury for the Suns, who committed 22 turnovers. Phoenix shot 43.8 percent from the field and were 13-of-42 from 3-point range.
Minnesota shot 42.4 percent from the field, including 21-of-52 from behind the arc.
The Timberwolves used a 7-0 fourth-quarter run to push its lead to 17 points early in the period. The last four points came in a span of five seconds as Randle slammed home a dunk and McDaniels recorded a steal on the ensuing play before converting a layup to make it 95-78 with 8:21 remaining.
Durant later scored five straight points as Phoenix moved within 104-93 with four minutes remaining.
However, Edwards drained a 3-pointer with 2:16 left to start a decisive 10-0 burst as Minnesota pushed the lead to 21 points to all but secure the win.
Booker scored 12 first-half points to help the Suns lead 51-49 at the break. Randle scored 16 in the half for Minnesota.
Edwards knocked down the first basket of the game, and that was Minnesota’s lone lead until early in the third quarter.
Edwards scored 11 straight to help the Timberwolves grab that third-quarter advantage, moving ahead 63-62 on his layup with 8:08 remaining in the third quarter.
A 3-pointer by Beal pulled the Suns within 68-67 with 6:24 left in the quarter before Minnesota rattled off 12 straight points. DiVincenzo capped the surge with a trey to make it 80-67 with 4:07 left.
DiVincenzo nailed another 3-pointer with 24 seconds remaining as the Timberwolves took an 83-72 advantage into the final stanza.
–Field Level Media
