MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points and Damian Lillard added 25 points and 10 assists as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-121 on Saturday night.
Enes Kanter had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Portland.
Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 34 points and 10 rebounds, while rookie Anthony Edwards had 21 points and eight boards. The Timberwolves have lost 14 of 16 and are 1-6 under new coach Chris Finch.
Anthony, who passed Hakeem Olajuwon for 11th place on the NBA’s career scoring list, shot 7 of 12 from the field and went 8 for 8 from the free throw line. But his biggest play of the night was a pass that helped the Blazers seal the victory.
Leading by three in the final minute, Portland worked the ball around to Anthony at the top of the key. He immediately fired a pass to Derrick Jones Jr. alone under the hoop for a dunk that sunk Minnesota’s comeback hopes.
Lillard, the NBA’s third-leading scorer at 29.9 points per game, was held to 10 on 2-of-6 shooting in the first half, but Portland still led 66-57 at the break, thanks in part to Anthony’s 10 points off the bench.
Towns scored 13 points in the first 6 1/2 minutes of the second half, including nine in a 12-0 run that tied the game at 76.
Portland quickly regained control, as Lillard hit a long 2-pointer and set up Gary Trent Jr. for a 3 that put the Blazers up 83-76.
But the Timberwolves wouldn’t go away. Naz Reid, giving Towns a breather, scored six points and Jaden McDaniels hit a 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left in the quarter to give Minnesota a 94-93 lead heading into the fourth.
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