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The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference semifinals on Friday night.
Led by Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets at Target Center by a final score of 119–116.
Edwards finished with 29 points, four rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes on the floor. He shot 11-23 and hit seven three-pointers, connecting on the go-ahead floater with about 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Timberwolves trailed by 10 points with less than four minutes remaining in the game, but they quickly overcame the deficit and secured the win.
There was no love lost between the two Western Conference rivals, as Rudy Gobert and Christian Braun were both assessed technical fouls following brawls following Braun’s dunks.
espn ,espn
Christian Braun and Rudy Gobert got involved after this play.
A double technical foul was assessed. pic.twitter.com/lSCC7J4sNY
Fans were amazed by Edwards’ late-game heroics.
statemuse ,statmuse
Ant Tonight:
– 29 pts
— 7 3p
– game-winner
The most points (149) ever scored by the Wolves in the first five games of a season. pic.twitter.com/njpnH2gga0
Despite the loss, Nikola Jokic still performed efficiently. The three-time MVP finished with 26 points and 13 assists along with nine rebounds. He shot 8-16 from the field, connecting on two of his three long-range attempts.
Russell Westbrook struggled to find his shot, hitting only one of his eight attempts from the field. He recorded five points, six rebounds and five assists.
Both the teams will face each other again on January 25.