SALT LAKE CITY — Anthony Edwards had 32 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Utah Jazz 114-104 on Monday night.
Edwards scored 25 of his 32 points in the second half to help the Timberwolves pull away late. It was his second straight 30-point game against the Jazz and third straight overall.
His efforts on both ends of the floor swung a close game in Minnesota’s favor.
“He’s always been a guy that can really turn a game around,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Knows when to pick it up. Knows when to make the big play. Can sometimes succeed from nothing. But now he’s much more refined in what he does. He’s a little calmer, he doesn’t rush as much.
Naz Reid added 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, but did not play after halftime due to a head injury. Reid’s absence further depleted a Minnesota frontcourt that was already missing Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns due to injuries.
The Timberwolves scored 27 points off 17 turnovers and beat Utah for the second time in three days.
“The game really came down to our inability to take care of the ball,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.
Collin Sexton led Utah with 24 points. Lauri Markkanen had 22 points and 12 rebounds after missing six games due to a right quadriceps contusion. Keyonte George added 15 points and eight assists.
John Collins had 11 points and six rebounds for the Jazz in three quarters. Collins did not play in the fourth while he was evaluated for a concussion. It was later confirmed to be a head contusion.
Utah lost its second straight home game despite beating Minnesota 22-8 on second-chance points.
Edwards took over on offense in Reid’s absence. He scored five baskets in the third quarter – highlighted by a thunderous dunk over Collins that injured both players – to help the Timberwolves open an 83-77 lead late in the period.
“It gives me chills, man, because I always dreamed of throwing myself at someone like that,” Edwards said.
Edwards dislocated his finger on the dunk, but put it back together in the locker room during a timeout and returned to the game with a taped finger.
Utah rallied and took a 90-88 lead on a 3-point play by Markkanen. Minnesota then pulled away for good when Edwards capped a 12-1 run with back-to-back baskets, giving the Timberwolves a 100-91 lead with 5:50 to play.
“I was rushing some things and obviously the turnovers cost us the game tonight,” Markkanen said. “I will take responsibility for it. … But overall, it was fun to be back with my teammates.
Utah took a 20-8 lead midway through the first quarter after scoring 13 straight points on six straight possessions. Reid stopped the run with back-to-back baskets. Utah’s offense didn’t calm down until late in the quarter.
The Jazz shot 61 percent from the field, with Sexton and George combining for eight of the team’s 14 baskets in the first quarter. They led 35-19 after back-to-back layups from Sexton.
Minnesota erased the deficit midway through the second, tying it at 46 on Jaden McDaniels’ turnaround. Back-to-back baskets from Collins and Taylor Hendricks put Utah back in front and helped the Jazz take a 59-53 halftime lead.
FOLLOWING
Minnesota hosts Denver on Tuesday.
Utah travels to Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
——
APNBA:
