MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Malik Beasley scored 23 points and rookie Anthony Edwards finished with 23 in his second straight start as the Minnesota Timberwolves held on to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-104 on Sunday night.
D’Angelo Russell added 19 points for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the third time in 17 games.
The Timberwolves used their 3-point shooting to overcome a dominant game inside by Andre Drummond and Cleveland. The Timberwolves connected on a season-high 16 3s, converting 40% from beyond the arc.
“They’re big; 72 points in the paint is a lot,” Minnesota coach Ryan Saunders said. “I liked a number of things that these guys did and I thought that was a definition of a team win. But you can’t be satisfied because games come quick and we run it back tomorrow.”
Drummond had 25 points and 22 rebounds — his third 20-20 game of the year — and the Cavaliers scored a season-high 72 points in the paint. Collin Sexton added 16 points as Cleveland lost for the fourth time in five games.
The Cavaliers had a season-high 19 turnovers, resulting in 29 points for Minnesota.
With Karl-Anthony Towns and backup center Naz Reid out due to COVID-19 and a wrist injury, respectively, the Wolves had no match for Drummond inside.
Going to the big man early allowed Cleveland to build a double-digit advantage as Drummond bullied his way to the rim against Minnesota’s smaller defenders. Drummond had 10 points and six rebounds in the first quarter, while the Cavaliers shot 70% from the field in the quarter.
The Wolves closed the gap to 61-55 at halftime on a pair of 3s by Russell and Beasley, and then took control early in the third. The tantalizing scoring ability of Edwards, the No. 1 pick, was on display with 11 points in the third.
Edwards was aggressive, getting to the rim with a variety of spin moves and driving layups. He also shot 4 of 7 from long range.
“Twenty-three points from a 19-year-old rookie is fantastic,” Saunders said. “But we’re not asking them to do that every night. We’re just asking him to continue to grow and he’s doing that.”
Russell hit a 3 to put Minnesota ahead 95-90 and walked to the bench with both arms raised following a Cleveland timeout. Cavaliers forwards Larry Nance and Cedi Osman stood near where Russell shot, arguing about defensive coverages.
The Wolves held Cleveland to 18 points and 30.4% shooting in the fourth.
“We had each other’s backs tonight,” Beasley said. “I heard a lot of talk, more than usual. In the paint in the second half, we made an emphasis of let’s not let them squash in the paint. We executed on the defensive end tonight.”
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