Mark Williams scored 22 points with seven rebounds as the Phoenix Suns held off the Minnesota Timberwolves 108–105 on Monday night at Target Center, ending Minnesota’s five-game winning streak.
Phoenix improved to 14–10 with the road victory and controlled much of the fourth quarter, two weeks after rallying from a late deficit to beat the same opponent in Arizona.
Anthony Edwards posted 40 points on 15-for-21 shooting, but Minnesota dropped to 15–9 as its supporting cast struggled to convert open looks.
Julius Randle added 21 points, and Rudy Gobert contributed 15 points with eight boards before being ejected in the third quarter for a flagrant foul.
Collin Gillespie scored 19 points and Dillon Brooks added 18 for Phoenix, which used balanced perimeter shooting and interior finishing to counter Edwards’ scoring bursts.
The game was tied at 84 entering the fourth quarter, and the Suns immediately created separation with a 14–3 run that pushed the margin to 98–87.
Minnesota responded with pressure defense and cut the deficit to three in the final seconds, but Jaden McDaniels missed a clean look from the right wing with 3.7 seconds left.
Williams anchored Phoenix’s offense by finishing 7-for-9 from the field and 7-for-9 at the line, providing consistent production in the paint against Minnesota’s frontline.
Gillespie added six rebounds and four assists in 33 minutes while hitting three triples, and Brooks supplied secondary scoring with seven made field goals.
Phoenix finished 41-for-90 from the floor and 12-for-33 from deep, generating 26 assists with only nine turnovers.
Minnesota posted a similar overall shooting percentage but went 11-for-42 from three, and several rotational pieces were unable to find rhythm.
Naz Reid went 2-for-12 off the bench, McDaniels shot 1-for-7, and Donte DiVincenzo finished 1-for-7 from the field.
Randle shot 7-for-11 and added eight assists, but the Timberwolves’ spacing narrowed after Gobert’s ejection and Phoenix kept the paint congested to limit dribble penetration.
Edwards carried the offense in the closing minutes, scoring nine straight points during Minnesota’s late push with a blend of midrange drives and catch-and-shoot jumpers.
Phoenix answered with controlled possessions and timely execution, leaning on Williams in pick-and-roll actions and using Gillespie’s ballhandling to avoid turnovers.
Minnesota held a slim 47 percent to 46 percent edge in overall shooting, but Phoenix’s fourth-quarter efficiency and stronger long-distance accuracy proved decisive.
The Suns now turn attention to Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup on the road against the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Timberwolves travel to San Francisco to face the Golden State Warriors on Friday as they look to restart momentum.
