NBA: Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves fend off Kings
Mar 4, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson (5) celebrates with guard Anthony Edwards (1) after Edwards scored against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 27 points and answered Sacramento 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 totaling 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.
nothin' new for Æ.
27 PTS / 4 REB / 8 AST pic.twitter.com/wctNmbjoLd
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 5, 2023
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 percent to 55.1 percent. 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.
