Karl-Anthony Towns delivered a 27-point performance, while Anthony Edwards contributed 24 points, leading the Western Conference’s top team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, to a narrow 96-94 victory over the Brooklyn Nets during Thursday’s NBA slate.
The game saw momentum shifts, with Brooklyn initially leading in the first quarter before Minnesota responded with a strong second quarter, ultimately securing a 60-48 halftime lead.
The Timberwolves, who at one point led by 17 in the third quarter and held a 10-point advantage midway through the fourth, faced a strong comeback attempt from the Nets. An 8-0 run by Brooklyn, culminating in a jumper from Mikal Bridges, brought the score to a close 91-89.
The game’s intensity heightened in the final minutes, with Cam Thomas’ free throws tying the game at 94-94. Timberwolves’ star Towns acknowledged some mistakes in the fourth quarter but praised the game’s competitiveness.
“We made some mistakes in the fourth quarter, and they punished us for that,” Towns said. “It was a good game. They did a good job at the end, and we did a really poor job trying to close it out.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets Updates
A crucial moment came when Rudy Gobert scored on an alley-oop from Towns, putting Minnesota ahead again. Timberwolves’ coach Chris Finch lauded the connection between the two players, despite the pass being slightly off target.
“They have a really good connection,” Finch said. “(Towns) is a phenomenal passer. Good court vision. He looks for him naturally. And, Rudy really did a helluva job because the pass was a little off target.”
In a dramatic final sequence, Bridges had an opportunity to tie the game but missed a free throw, followed by a lane violation on his intentional miss. The Timberwolves successfully inbounded the ball and ran down the clock to seal their win.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets Updates
Now facing their third consecutive loss, the Nets have struggled recently, losing 12 of their last 14 games. Thomas, who led Brooklyn with 25 points, commented on the team’s resilience and the game’s close finish.
“We were down but we fought back,” Thomas said. “We played well. It’s encouraging that we just kept fighting. It just came down to the last possession and that was it.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets Updates
Gobert had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, and Mike Conley also scored 10 points for the Timberwolves, with Towns adding 10 rebounds to his tally. Bridges scored 21 for the Nets, and Nic Claxton added 16 points and 11 rebounds, with Spencer Dinwiddie contributing 14 points.
Looking ahead, the Timberwolves will face the San Antonio Spurs, while the Nets will host the Houston Rockets, both games scheduled for Saturday night.
