Timberwolves beat struggling Wizards 120-106
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) dunks against Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly, back left, and center Jonas Valanciunas, front left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 20 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves overcome a sloppy first half and beat the NBA-worst Washington Wizards 120-106 on Monday night.
Earlier Monday, Edwards was fined $50,000 by the NBA for an obscene gesture directed at an official in Saturday’s loss in Memphis.
Edwards, a two-time All-Star, had a strong final period, shooting 6 for 11 from the floor and 3 for 5 from 3-point range to turn what had been a tight contest into a comfortable win.
Julius Randle added 20 points and 10 rebounds and Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota, which committed 13 turnovers in the first half and briefly trailed the Wizards in the third quarter.
Kyle Kuzma scored 22 points and and Jordan Poole added 20 in Washington’s seventh straight loss.
RAPTORS 104, WARRIORS 101
TORONTO (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored the go-ahead basket with 1:33 left in the fourth quarter and Toronto rallied to beat Golden State.
Scottie Barnes scored 23 points and Jakob Poeltl had 13 points and 13 rebounds as the Raptors won for the second time in 18 games.
Chris Boucher scored 18 points, RJ Barrett added 15, and Agbaji and Gradey Dick each had 12.
Stephen Curry scored 26 points and Andrew Wiggins had 20 for the Warriors, who have lost two straight and four of their last five.
Golden State’s Buddy Hield had one last chance for a game-tying shot, but his 3-pointer in the final seconds fell short.
Toronto trailed 86-77 after a 3-pointer by Lindy Waters III with 9:27 left in the game, but outscored Golden State 27-15 down the stretch.
PISTONS 124, KNICKs 119
NEW YORK (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 36 points, Malik Beasley had 22 and a pair of clutch 3-pointers in the final 40 seconds and surging Detroit beat New York, their second straight victory over the Knicks after dropping the previous 16 meetings.
Cunningham’s brilliant play helped the Pistons nurse a small lead for much of the second half, but the Knicks forced the ball out of his hands on two late possessions. Both times the Pistons were able to swing it around to an open Beasley, who made the first for a 121-117 lead and the second to put them up five with 6.3 seconds to go.
Beasley was 6 for 8 behind the arc as the Pistons (21-19) won for the 10th time in 12 games.
Jalen Brunson had 31 points and 11 assists for the Knicks, not appearing bothered by the shoulder injury he sustained while scoring 44 points Sunday in a win over Milwaukee. Mikal Bridges added 27 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 12 rebounds despite frequently grabbing his right thumb in pain after getting hit on a drive in the first half.
ROCKETS 120, GRIZZLIES 118
HOUSTON (AP) — Jalen Green tied his career high with 42 points, capped by a layup that gave Houston the lead late, and the Rockets rallied for a win over Memphis.
The Grizzlies were down by four before Jaylen Wells made a 3-pointer followed by a steal and layup from Brandon Clarke that put them up 115-114 with just under a minute left.
Green’s layup put the Rockets on top 116-115 before a turnover by Ja Morant gave Houston the ball back. Amen Thompson was fouled and made two free throws with 8.1 seconds left to make it 118-115.
Morant missed two free throws after that and Fred VanVleet added two free throws for Houston with 2.1 seconds left to make it 120-115 and secure the victory.
SPURS 126, LAKERS 102
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 23 points and eight rebounds, Harrison Barnes scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, and San Antonio beat the Lakers in Los Angeles’ first game back from two postponements due to the wildfires devastating the area.
Anthony Davis had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and LeBron James added 18 points and eight assists for the Lakers in their first home game since catastrophic wildfires killed at least 24 and burned thousands of structures.
The Lakers have lost three straight, but their previous two scheduled games were postponed, and they hadn’t played since last Tuesday in Dallas.
Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle scored 23 points apiece for San Antonio.
The Spurs dominated the fourth quarter, making a 25-9 run in the first nine minutes to take control of a game that was tied entering the period.
CLIPPERS 109, HEAT 98
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — James Harden scored 13 of his 26 points in a third-quarter revival that rallied Los Angeles past Miami, snapping a two-game skid.
The Clippers were playing their first game in five days after their scheduled game on Saturday was postponed because of deadly wildfires in the Los Angeles area. White towels with LA Strong and the state of California in blue were given out.
Norman Powell led the Clippers with 29 points. Ivica Zubac had 21 points and a season-high 20 rebounds for his 25th double-double. Harden added 11 assists.
Tyler Herro had 32 points and 11 rebounds to lead Miami, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. Kel’el Ware added 19 points and a career-best 13 rebounds off the bench.