INDIANAPOLIS — — Anthony Edwards tied his season high with 44 points, made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:11 left and made a spectacular block at the buzzer to give the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves a 113-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.
Edwards flew out to reject a last-second layup from the Pacers’ Aaron Nesmith, hitting his head on the rim as time expired. He screamed, flexed his muscles and thumped Rudy Gobert’s chest in celebration.
Gobert added 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who played without All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns. Minnesota moved into first place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City.
“His shooting was next level,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said when asked about Edwards. “Even when we double-teamed him, he got away from us. Listen, he’s a great player and that’s why every second, every minute of every game counts.
Edwards was masterful in Minnesota’s second straight victory, accounting for the team’s final eight points while making 18 of 35 from the field with three 3-pointers and six rebounds in a back-and-forth game that none of the no two teams led by more than five on the field. Last 20 minutes.
Pascal Siakam scored 24 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 23 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, who trailed by 17 points in the first half but led 104-103. Siakam’s powerful dunk with 2 minutes remaining. Indiana has lost three of four and is eighth in the East.
Even without Towns, Minnesota managed to hold the league’s highest-scoring team nearly 13 points below its average.
“I thought the defensive game plan was on point,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “I thought our players really executed in the first half, but slacked off a little bit in the second half. Of course, they made some adjustments, but we were able to put them back in a lot sooner.
And Edwards made them pay, time and time again.
Although he limped off 26 seconds into the game, Edwards helped Minnesota make it 54-37 midway through the second quarter. He finished the first half with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Indiana cut the halftime deficit to 60-49, opened the second half on a 19-4 run and eventually took a 68-66 lead midway through the third quarter when Myles Turner converted a Minnesota dunk turnover.
From there, neither team could take control – until Edwards capped his final big flurry with the deciding block.
“Edwards is a physical player and you have to play physical players physically,” Carlisle said. “It’s a difficult learning experience.”
Towns sat out with left knee soreness and Finch gave no timetable for his return. ESPN and The Athletic reported that Towns had a torn meniscus.
The Pacers were also shorthanded. Starting goaltender Bennedict Mathurin was out with a shoulder injury and is expected to miss at least three more games.
FOLLOWING
Timberwolves: at Cleveland Friday.
Pacers: Visit Orlando on Sunday.
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