The New Orleans Pelicans erased an 18-point second-half deficit and defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-115 on Friday night at Target Center, powered by late execution and efficient scoring inside. The road victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the Western Conference club, which entered the night near the bottom of the standings at 14-40.
Saddiq Bey scored a game-high 30 points and sealed the result with two free throws with 10.8 seconds remaining after securing a defensive rebound. The forward also added nine rebounds and five assists, helping stabilize New Orleans during the fourth-quarter push.
Zion Williamson finished with 29 points on 11-for-13 shooting, repeatedly attacking the paint against Minnesota’s interior defense. His three-point play with 35.5 seconds left gave the visitors a 117-115 edge after the Timberwolves briefly took the lead on a Bones Hyland three-pointer.
Trey Murphy III contributed 26 points and hit six three-pointers, including consecutive shots late in the third quarter that cut the deficit to single digits. Rookie Derik Queen added 17 points and went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc after entering the game with only 10 made threes this season.
Minnesota built a 77-59 lead early in the third quarter behind Anthony Edwards’ scoring burst, but the home side struggled to maintain defensive stops down the stretch. Edwards finished with 35 points, including 23 in the first half, while Julius Randle added 24 points and Rudy Gobert posted 12 points with 16 rebounds.
The Timberwolves’ defensive rotations were affected by foul trouble for Jaden McDaniels, who picked up his third foul early in the second quarter and his fourth shortly after halftime. That forced coach Chris Finch to experiment with lineups, including extended minutes for Johnny Juzang.
New Orleans shot 54 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range, numbers that reflected improved spacing around Williamson’s post scoring. Minnesota shot 42 percent overall and just 32 percent from deep despite attempting 40 three-pointers, which limited its ability to respond once the momentum shifted.
Murphy’s perimeter shooting and Bey’s scoring run tied the game at 102 in the fourth quarter, completing the comeback after the Pelicans trailed for most of the night. The visitors also moved the ball effectively, finishing with 29 assists compared to Minnesota’s 22.
The Timberwolves fell to 32-21, remaining in the upper half of the Western Conference playoff picture but losing ground in a tight race near the middle seeds. New Orleans, despite its record, showed offensive balance with four starters scoring at least 17 points.
The Pelicans will host Sacramento on Monday, while Minnesota returns home Sunday to face the Los Angeles Clippers.
