Mike Conley scored 21 points and fan favorite Naz Reid added 18 points on his beach towel giveaway, leading the leaderboard. Minnesota Timberwolves after the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-91 Friday.
Anthony Edwards had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Rudy Gobert grabbed 15 rebounds and Jaden McDaniels added 15 points, three steals and two blocks for the Timberwolves (48-22), who shot 52 percent from 3-point range (14 for 27) and kept pace with first-place Oklahoma City (49-20) in the Western Conference playoff race after the Thunder won in Toronto.
The Wolves are third, one game behind Denver (49-21). They tied their best record of 70 games in franchise history and already have their most wins in 20 seasons.
“We were able to throw the ball,” Conley said. “It’s buzzing around the horn, and everyone’s looking good.”
Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 19 points, Caris LeVert added 16 and Jarrett Allen had his 35th double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds, but Cleveland lost for the fifth time in seven games.
The Cavs played without All-Star Donovan Mitchell for the third consecutive game because of a broken nose.
“The ball got sticky for us in the second half,” LeVert said. “It was difficult to score against their defense.”
Reid left the concussion protocol after missing the last game and rejoined the starting lineup with immediate success. Gobert was also back after a rib injury sidelined him the previous three games.
Reid got hot at the perfect time as the crowd was proud I lifted the blue napkins throughout the route in his honor. He opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer and finished a fast break minutes later with a ferocious dunk for a game-high 84-70 lead.
With 2:26 left, Reid nailed a corner 3-pointer for a 12-point lead before a Cavs timeout. Gobert patted him on the shoulder as they walked to the bench as the crowd chanted “Naz Reid!” again and again.
“It’s something you dream of, certainly at this level in the NBA,” Reid said. “It’s love.”
The cast did most of the dirty, glamorous work for the Wolves that night, playing again without All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns as he sat on the bench with a wide smile and baseball cap pulled back during his eighth consecutive absence, recovering from a torn meniscus in his left knee.
The Wolves put on a first-half 3-point shooting spectacle in honor of their absent ace, hitting seven of their first 11 tries with a career-tying four made by Jordan McLaughlin.
“J-Mac is playing out of this world right now,” coach Chris Finch said.
The Cavs took an 18-5 run for a three-point lead at intermission after 10 points in the second half thanks to the precise shooting of senior Sam Merrill.
The Cavs (43-27) won 17 of 18 during a stretch earlier this winter and remain in third place in the Eastern Conference, two games behind Milwaukee for the No. 2 seed and one game ahead of Orlando , fourth. They beat the Wolves in overtime two weeks ago without Mitchell behind a career-high 33 points and 18 rebounds from Allen, but injuries could catch up with them a bit. Starters Evan Mobley (sprained ankle, nine games) and Max Strus (sprained knee, 10 games) were also sidelined.
“We just stagnated. There wasn’t a lot of movement,” coach JB Bickerstaff said. “Give them credit for being good defensively, but I just think we weren’t as attack-oriented getting to the paint.”
FOLLOWING
Cavaliers: Visit Miami Sunday evening.
Timberwolves: Host Golden State on Sunday night.
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