SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 36 points in the third quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves routed the Utah 138-113 on Thursday for their fifth straight victory and second in two nights.
Added to the All-Star Game as a reserve Thursday, Edwards had 11 assists and keyed a decisive 44-22 third quarter for the Timberwolves. Minnesota was coming off a 121-113 victory at Phoenix on Wednesday.
After the Jazz made a modest run in the fourth quarter, Edwards made three 3-pointers in a 1:25 span to give Minnesota a 125-97 lead with 4:34 left.
Keyonte George, who was moved out of Utah's the starting lineup four games ago, scored 23 points on 7-for-7 shooting. Collin Sexton had 19 points, while John Collins and Jordan Clarkson both had 16 in Utah's eighth consecutive loss.
Minnesota rookie Rob Dillingham had a career-high 19 points. Rudy Gobert and Luka Garza each added 16 points.
Takeaways
Timberwolves: Even without point guard Mike Conley (thumb sprain), the Timberwolves ran their offense without a hitch, consistently staying one pass ahead of Utah's defensive scrambles. Minnesota had 38 assists, matching its season high of 38 assists set three games ago at Denver.
Jazz: The game marked the first time all of Utah's veteran leaders (Lauri Markkanen, Collins, Sexton and Clarkson) have been available since the Jazz won at Miami 136-100 on Jan. 4. Markkanen’s 3-pointer gave Utah an early 25-10 lead but the Jazz sputtered the rest of the game.
Key moment
Coming back from illness, Naz Reid made four straight 3s as Minnesota outscored the Jazz 32-11 during a nine-minute span bridging the first and second quarters. The Timberwolves never trailed after that.
Key stat
The Timberwolves shot a season high 61.3% from the field, easily besting their previous mark of 56.6% in a loss to Memphis on Jan. 11.
Up next
The Timberwolves return home to play Washington on Saturday night. Utah hosts Orlando on Saturday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Matthew Coles, The Associated Press
