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Anthony Edwards dropped 44 points — 18 of them in Minnesota Timberwolves' franchise-best 52-point third quarter — as the Timberwolves rolled past the Memphis Grizzlies 141-125 on Thursday night. Both teams came in battling to stay clear of the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Julius Randle chipped in 31 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, helping them blow the game wide open with the NBA’s highest-scoring quarter of the season. Edwards went a perfect 5-for-5 in the third, while Randle poured in 14 as Minnesota shot a blistering 18-of-21 (85.7%) in the frame.
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves' scorching second half
Minnesota erupted with a 26-2 run early in the third quarter, flipping a 75-69 deficit into an 18-point lead. Randle fueled the surge with 12 points, while the Timberwolves strung together 17 unanswered points to seize control of the game.
The Timberwolves carried a 22-point lead into the fourth quarter, and although Memphis trimmed the deficit to 10 (129-119) midway through the period, they never seriously threatened a comeback.
Naz Reid added 14 points as Minnesota picked up its sixth win in the last seven games. The victory pulled the Timberwolves into a three-way tie with the Warriors and Grizzlies for the sixth through eighth spots in the Western Conference at 47-33.
Ja Morant led the way for Memphis with 36 points, showing off his new celebration again by miming a grenade toss into the crowd after draining a 3-pointer. Desmond Bane added 28 and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 23, but the Grizzlies saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
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The Grizzlies were also without rookie starter Jaylen Wells, who suffered a broken right wrist in a hard fall during a dunk attempt Tuesday against Charlotte. Wells, who had started 73 games, was often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s top scorer while contributing 10.5 points per game.
Timberwolves, Grizzlies shoulder-to-shoulder in a tight Western Conference
Minnesota entered the game still reeling from a tough loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, where the Timberwolves squandered a 24-point fourth-quarter lead and fell 110-103.
Both teams lit it up in the first half Thursday. Memphis hit 65 percent of its shots, knocked down 13 threes, and rode a red-hot Desmond Bane, who poured in 24 points while going a perfect 6-for-6 from deep. Minnesota wasn’t far behind, shooting 49 percent with 11 threes and 26 points from Anthony Edwards. The Grizzlies held a slim 72-67 lead at halftime.
By the final buzzer, the Timberwolves had shot 55.2 percent from the field and connected on 20 of their 44 three-point attempts. The Grizzlies finished at 51.7 percent, hitting 18 of 36 from deep.
Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves will wrap up their regular season against the Brooklyn Nets and Utah Jazz, both already eliminated from playoff contention and with little at stake. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, face a more challenging finish — a road matchup with Denver on Friday, followed by a home game Sunday against a Mavericks squad fighting for play-in position.
