CHARLOTTE, NC (AP) — Terry Rozier scored 41 points and rookie LaMelo Ball had 20 points and 11 rebounds to help the Charlotte Hornets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-114 on Friday night.
Charlotte improved to 13-14, opening a five-game homestand with its third victory in four games. Minnesota has lost four straight to fall to 6-20.
Cody Zeller added 17 points for Charlotte on 7-of-8 shooting, Gordon Hayward had 14 points on 5-of-21 shooting, and Miles Bridges had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Hayward hit a 3-pointer to put Charlotte ahead 106-100 with 4:27 left.
Malik Beasley scored 31 points — 16 in the first period — for Minnesota. Karl Anthony-Towns added 25 in his second game back after missing 13 because of the coronavirus.
Anthony Edwards had 21 points for Minnesota in the first matchup between the first and third overall picks in the 2020 NBA draft. Edwards went first, and Ball third.
“I thought (Edwards and Anthony-Towns) found a little bit of synergy in terms of that high-angle screen where they’re worried about Karl on the pop and Anthony getting all the way to the rim,” Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders said of his two stars playing together for the first time in several games.
“It made it a little more open for him, so I thought they did find a little bit of chemistry there, which is something that we need to continue to focus on because games come quick.”
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