NBA: Anthony Edwards, Wolves fend off Kings, 138-134

Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 27 points and answered Sacramento’s threats with two critical hoops in the final two minutes Saturday night, allowing the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves to hold off the Kings for a 138-134 victory.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (1) smiles before post-game interview following the team’s NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings. | Photo Credit: AP/José Luis Villegas

Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 27 points and answered Sacramento’s threats with two critical hoops in the final two minutes Saturday night, allowing the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves to hold off the Kings for a 138-134 victory.

Seven Timberwolves scored in double figures, and four Kings reached 20 points in a game that saw Minnesota put up its third-largest scoring output of the season. Sacramento lost for a second time when totalling 134 or more.

In a nonstop shootout in which both teams scored at least 30 points in every quarter, the Timberwolves had an answer for every Kings rally. That included a late 17-6 burst by the Kings that cut a 12-point deficit to one at 129-128 on a De’Aaron Fox jumper with 2:45 to go.

After Rudy Gobert and Fox traded hoops, Edwards came through with the first of his big buckets, a layup with 1:51 to go that became a three-point play when he was fouled by Kevin Huerter.

Again the Kings immediately countered, this time on a Domantas Sabonis layup to get within two, and the hosts had chances to tie and go ahead. But Fox couldn’t connect on a driving layup with 57 seconds left and, after an offensive rebound, Harrison Barnes on a 3-pointer five seconds later.

Edwards then put the Timberwolves in command at 136-132 with an interior basket with 33 seconds remaining.

Two free throws by Mike Conley with 15 seconds left iced the win, Minnesota’s third in a row to complete a four-game Western trip.

Edwards hit 10-for-20 for the Timberwolves, who outshot the hosts 60.0 per cent to 55.1 per cent. He also found time for eight assists.

Gobert notched a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double for the visitors. Conley finished with 24 points, Jaden McDaniels 19, Kyle Anderson 18 to go with a game-high nine assists and seven rebounds, Nickeil Alexander-Walker 16 and Naz Reid 10.

Drilling six of his nine 3-point attempts, Huerter had a game-high 29 points for the Kings, who saw a five-game winning streak come to an end.

Fox went for 25 points to complement a team-high seven assists, while Sabonis logged a double-double with 24 points and a game-high-tying 14 rebounds. Barnes chipped in with 20 points and Trey Lyles 15.