Edwards leads Timberwolves to a 116-99 victory over Knicks

NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Edwards had 36 points, a season-high 13 rebounds and seven assists, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 116-99 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.

Edwards made eight 3-pointers and reserve Naz Reid was 6 for 6 behind the arc as the Timberwolves matched their season best with 22 3-pointers in 40 attempts (55%). Reid finished with 23 points and eight rebounds.

Julius Randle had just eight points but added seven rebounds and six assists during his first game in New York since being traded along with Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota in October for Karl-Anthony Towns.

Towns missed his second straight game with a sprained right thumb and DiVincenzo was sidelined with a sprained left big toe.

Jalen Brunson scored 26 points for the Knicks, who lost for the sixth time in nine games. OG Anunoby and Cam Payne each added 18.

CELTICS 121, MAGIC 94

BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 30 points and Boston ran past Orlando.

With freshman star Cooper Flagg and his Duke teammates looking on from the stands, Tatum, a former Blue Devils standout, went 12 of 21 from the floor to help Boston break out of a recent shooting slump. No. 3 Duke plays at Boston College on Saturday.

Boston shot a season-best 61% in the first half and took a 12-point lead into halftime. The Celtics shot 53% on the night, including 46% from 3-point range, and led by 27 in the second half. Kristaps Porzingis finished with 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Jaylen Brown added 20.

Cole Anthony led Orlando with 23 points, and Paolo Banchero scored 21.

NUGGETS 133, HEAT 113

MIAMI (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 30 points, Nikola Jokic extended his NBA lead with his 17th triple-double of the season and Denver spoiled Jimmy Butler’s return by beating Miami.

Jokic finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Aaron Gordon added 16 for Denver.

Tyler Herro scored 22 points for Miami, while Butler had 18 in his first game back from a seven-game suspension. Bam Adebayo finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Nikola Jovic scored 16 points for the Heat.

PELICANS 136, JAZZ 123

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson highlighted a 24-point, 14-rebound performance with an array of thunderous dunks during a dominant fourth-quarter stint, and New Orleans beat Utah to open a two-game set.

The teams will meet again in New Orleans on Monday night.

CJ McCollum made his first five 3-pointers on his way to 26 points, and the Pelicans got 19 points each from Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III en route to their third straight victory and fourth in five games.

Keyonte George scored 26 points for Utah, and Collin Sexton had 24. The Jazz (10-30) have lost five of six and have the fewest victories in the Western Conference, one behind the Pelicans (11-32).

New Orleans led b 26 when Daniel Theis’ 3-pointer made it 50-24 early in the second quarter. But Utah outscored New Orleans 28-11 during the rest of period to make it 61-52 at halftime before the Pelicans pulled away again for good in the second half.

BUCKS 130, RAPTORS 112

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 points and 12 rebounds to lead Milwaukee to a victory over Toronto.

Damian Lillard added 26 points and eight assists for Milwaukee, which swept the three-game season series from Toronto. Bobby Portis scored 15 and Khris Middleton had 13 points in 24 minutes off the bench.

Antetokounmpo posted his 12th straight double-double, the second-longest active streak in the NBA.

The Bucks attempted 41 free throws and made 33 as Toronto committed 31 fouls.

RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 21 points and 10 assists. Bruce Brown scored 17.

Toronto cut an early 20-point deficit in half after scoring the first six points of the fourth quarter to trail 107-97, but the Bucks made another push to seal their third straight win.

HORNETS 125, BULLS 123

CHICAGO (AP) — LaMelo Ball scored 26 points, Miles Bridges had 21 and Charlotte held on for a wild win over Chicago.

Mark Williams scored 19 points and grabbed 19 rebounds for the Hornets, who rallied to win a second straight game for just the second time this season. Charlotte has won three of four after a 10-game skid.

Charlotte won without Brandon Miller, the Hornets’ No. 2 scorer, and the team announced after the game he has a torn ligament in his right wrist. Miller, who’s averaging a career-high 21 points, will be out indefinitely.

Nikola Vucevic scored a season high 40 points — including 17 in the fourth quarter — and had 13 rebounds, but Chicago dropped a season-high fourth straight.

Zach Lavine scored 19 points and Coby White added 18 for the Bulls. Lonzo Ball, playing against his younger brother, had 6 points, three rebounds and three assists.

MAVERICKS 106, THUNDER 98

DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 25 points, Spencer Dinwiddie and P.J. Washington Jr. added 16 apiece and Dallas beat Oklahoma City.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s leading scorer with a 31.6 average, was sidelined by a sprained wrist, one night after scoring 40 points in a dominating 134-114 victory over Cleveland in a matchup of the Western and Eastern Conference leaders.

The Mavericks snapped a three-game losing streak.

Dallas outscored Oklahoma City 41-17 in the second period, including 16-3 in points off turnovers, and led 63-43 at halftime. The Thunder cut their deficit to a point (77-76) by outscoring the Mavericks 33-14 in the third. The Mavericks closed out the win by outscoring the Thunder 29-22 in the fourth.

Jalen Williams scored 19 points and Lu Dort added 18 for the Thunder.

GRIZZLIES 140, SPURS 112

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Santi Aldama scored a career-high 29 points and Memphis rolled to a victory over San Antonio, handing them their largest losing margin of the season even with Ja Morant sidelined by a foot injury.

Desmond Bane added 22 points and 14 assists, and Jaylen Wells had 22 points to help Memphis sweep the two-game set in Antonio, where the Grizzlies have won nine straight.

Devin Vassell led San Antonio with 21 points. Stephon Castle added 20, and Victor Wembanyama had 19 points and 12 rebounds.

LAKERS 102, NETS 101

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Austin Reaves scored a career-high 38 points, LeBron James had 29 and Los Angeles held on to beat Brooklyn.

The Nets, who lost 126-67 to the LA Clippers on Wednesday night in a franchise-record 59-point defeat, had a chance to win it, but D’Angelo Russell missed a 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds remaining. James got the rebound as the Lakers won their second straight.

Reaves was 13 for 23 from the floor and 8 for 8 from the foul line. His previous career high was 35 points, accomplished twice, including Dec. 31 against Cleveland. Reaves had 15 points in the fourth quarter, including three 3-pointers.

Russell, traded by the Lakers to the Nets, had 19 points in his first game against his former team while Zaire Williams and Tosan Evbuomwan scored 15 apiece.

The Associated Press