NBA: Timberwolves cruise past Magic on Anthony Edwards’ season-high 35
Anthony Edwards #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives on Franz Wagner #22 of the Orlando Magic during a game at Amway Center on November 16, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images/AFP
Anthony Edwards scored a season-high 35 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 and the Minnesota Timberwolves led wire-to-wire en route to their second straight road win, 126-108, Wednesday over the host Orlando Magic.
Minnesota — playing the third game of a four-game road swing — jumped out in front of Orlando early and led 42-24 at the end of the first quarter.
Article continues after this advertisementUnlike their win Sunday at Cleveland, when they raced ahead by 24 points only to hold off a late Cavaliers’ surge to win by five points, the Timberwolves weathered the Magic’s second-half effort to maintain a sizable lead throughout.
Edwards and Towns set the tone offensively, combining to shoot 22 of 35 from the floor, as Minnesota shot 46-for-88 (52.3 percent) from the floor as a team.
All five Timberwolves starters scored in double figures with Rudy Gobert recording 16 points, D’Angelo Russell finishing with 11 points and Jaden McDaniels chipping in 10 points. Each of Gobert, McDaniels and Edwards grabbed eight rebounds, with Edwards also matching Russell’s game-high of six assists.
Article continues after this advertisementAnthony Edwards had it going from the start, dropping 19 PTS in Q1 on the way to a season-high 35 PTS in the @Timberwolves win!
🐺 @theantedwards_: 35 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 7 3PM pic.twitter.com/7jviZLbIb7
— NBA (@NBA) November 17, 2022
The offensive outburst was the second in as many games for Minnesota, which on Sunday matched its second-highest scoring output of the season with its 129 points. Wednesday’s 126 points tied the Timberwolves’ fourth-highest scoring game of 2022-23.
For Orlando, the loss ends the Magic’s seven-game homestand a game below .500 at 3-4. Bol Bol set the pace in the loss with 26 points, taking over primary scoring duties with standout rookie and Orlando’s leading scorer thus far on the season, Paolo Banchero, missing his fourth straight game due to an ankle injury.
Bol recorded a double-double with a game-high 12 rebounds. Mo Bamba grabbed another 10 rebounds to go with eight points, while Jalen Suggs finished with 23 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Franz Wagner added 18 points with six rebounds and four assists.
The Magic outrebounded the Timberwolves 53-48 and converted a 20-11 advantage in second-chance points. However, Orlando could not overcome coughing up 16 turnovers — 15 of which came off Minnesota steals — that contributed to the Timberwolves’ 30-9 advantage in fast-break points.
