Karl-Anthony Towns (27 points, 10 rebounds) and Anthony Edwards (24 points) delivered standout performances as the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves (32-13) narrowly secured a 96-94 win against the Brooklyn Nets (17-27) on Thursday night.
Despite holding a 17-point lead in the third quarter, the Timberwolves faced a resilient Nets squad, with an 8-0 run bringing the game to a tense 91-89 in the closing minutes.
Cam Thomas’ free throws with 1:11 left leveled the score at 94-94, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.
Rudy Gobert’s crucial alley-oop from Towns with 58 seconds remaining put the Timberwolves back in the lead. The French centercontributed 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Mikal Bridges had a chance to tie the game for the Nets with two seconds left, but a missed free throw followed by a lane violation sealed their fate.
With a three-game losing streak, the Nets have now dropped seven of their last eight and 12 of their last 14 games.
For the Nets, Thomas led the scoring with 25 points, complemented by Bridges’ 21. Nic Claxton recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
