Anthony Edwards scored 40 points on 16-for-30 shooting, and the Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 122-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night in Minneapolis.
Rudy Gobert notched a double-double with 22 points and 17 rebounds for Minnesota, which won its third game in a row as it returned from the All-Star break. Naz Reid scored 21 points off the bench, and Julius Randle contributed 13 points.
Khris Middleton scored 18 points to lead Dallas, which lost its 10th consecutive game. Naji Marshall and Marvin Bagley III finished with 15 points apiece.
Edwards shined throughout the game, including the final minutes with the Timberwolves’ lead in the single digits. He scored seven points in the last 2:27 on a floating jump shot, a pull-up jumper from the elbow and a 3-pointer from the left corner.
The Timberwolves closed the game on an 11-4 run after Dallas cut the deficit to four.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Dallas went on a 12-2 run to tie the score at 103-all with 6:55 to go.
Minnesota led 69-57 at the half.
The Timberwolves jumped to a 40-25 lead at the end of the first quarter. Donte DiVincenzo buried a trio of 3-pointers in the first six minutes to help Minnesota grab the early lead.
Reid provided a highlight-reel dunk late in the first quarter. He dribbled behind his back before elevating for a thunderous right-handed slam over a leaping Daniel Gafford, who stands 6-foot-10 but was overpowered by the leaping Reid.
The Mavericks played without star rookie Cooper Flagg, who remained sidelined because of a sprained foot. The injury forced Flagg to miss the NBA All-Star activities last weekend.
Gobert picked up a flagrant foul after striking Bagley during a battle for a rebound in the second quarter. He surpassed the limit for flagrant fouls on the season and will be suspended for Sunday’s home game against the Philadelphia 76ers unless the league reassesses the call and downgrades the flagrant foul violation before then.
