Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates with guard Andrew Wiggins (22) after hitting the game-winning shot during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Oregon. AP
PORTLAND, Oregon—Karl-Anthony Towns hit a turnaround hook shot with 1.8 seconds left and the Minnesota Timberwolves held off a furious rally by the Portland Trail Blazers for a 106-105 victory Saturday night.
Minnesota led 100-93 after Tayshaun Prince’s jumper with 3:03 left, but Damian Lillard’s floater with 1:01 left closed the gap to 101-99.
Andrew Wiggins split a pair of free throws with 41 seconds remaining, but Lillard made a layup with 13.3 seconds left that put the Blazers within one at 102-101 in a game that had been tight all the way through.
After Zach LaVine’s free throws for the Timberwolves, Lillard made a 3-pointer and was fouled with 3.5 seconds left to pull the Blazers in front for a 105-104 lead.
Towns’ winning shot gave him 27 points, and the Timberwolves snapped an eight-game losing streak in Portland. Andrew Wiggins added 23 points.
Lillard had 31 points for the Blazers, whose eight-game winning streak at home was snapped. C.J. McCollum added 21 points, while Mason Plumlee had 15 points and 15 rebounds.
By virtue of Minnesota winning and the defending champion Golden State Warriors defeating the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland is a half-game ahead of the Grizzlies in the race for the fifth seed in the Western Conference.
Minnesota went on a 19-8 run to take its first lead at 38-36 after Noah Vonleh drew a technical foul with 1:04 left in the first quarter for taunting Nemanja Bjelica following a dunk over him.
A second-quarter spurt put the Timberwolves back in the game. After going scoreless in the first quarter, Towns put up nine points in the second to help the Timberwolves outscore the Blazers by 11 in the quarter. At the half, Minnesota led 53-49 after closing out the quarter on an 11-4 run.
The Blazers had only two field goals over the final 5:30 of the third quarter.