Edwards, Towns lead Wolves' 106-80 blitz of Murray, Jokic for 2-0 series lead over champion Nuggets

DENVER (AP) — Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns powered Minnesota's 106-80 blitz of the Denver Nuggets on Monday night that gave the Timberwolves a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals over the reigning but reeling NBA champions.

Towns and Edwards both scored 27 points as the Wolves improved to 6-0 in the playoffs and gave themselves a chance to close out the fuming Nuggets with wins Friday night and Sunday in Minneapolis.

So dominant were the Wolves that they had the Nuggets throwing both fits (Michael Malone) and objects onto the court (Jamal Murray).

Aaron Gordon led Denver with 20 points, Nikola Jokic had 16 points and 16 rebounds but their third-leading scorer was sub Justin Holliday with 13 points. Murray scored 8 points on 3-of-18 shooting.

The Wolves staggered the Nuggets with body blow after body blow even though their starting center Rudy Gobert was back home in Minneapolis attending the birth of his son Sunday. But they didn't need Gobert's shot blocking prowess and rim protection on this night to continue their domination of the Nuggets at Ball Arena, where Denver was 36-8 before their back-to-back losses to Minnesota.

Kyle Andeson replaced Gobert in the starting lineup and the Timberwolves hounded Jokic and disrupted Denver's offense just the same.

During a 43-18 first-half flourish by the Timberwolves — Edwards was on the bench for much of it, no less — the Nuggets grew so frustrated that Malone ran way out onto the court and got in official Marc Davis' face for an extended blowup during a timeout and somehow avoided a technical.

So did Murray after Denver's ailing point guard threw a heat pack onto the court in frustration as Towns was about to score on a layup in the second quarter.

It wasn't clear if the officials realized it was Murray who threw the object onto the court and not a fan. He will likely face punishment from the league, however.

Frustrated by their slow starts — the Nuggets have trailed by double digits in six of their seven playoff games and by nine in the other — Malone challenged his team to get off to a strong start for once.

“What are we waiting for?" he pleaded after Sunday's practice.

Only Aaron Gordon heeded his coach's call, scoring 13 quick points, including a 3-pointer that brought the Nuggets to 18-17 late in the first quarter.

Things unraveled for Denver after that because Jokic was the only other starter to score for the Nuggets before the second quarter. Jokic had just eight points by halftime and Murray, still bothered by a strained left calf, scored just two first-half points for the duo's worst offensive output in a half this season.

Trailing 61-35 at the break, the Nuggets' 26-point halftime deficit was Denver's largest in a home playoff game in franchise history.

The Wolves led 82-60 after three quarters and cruised the rest of the way.

-Associated Press-

Towns' double-double leads Wolves over Bulls

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 35 points and pulled down 22 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season, and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away for a 111-96 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night at Minneapolis.

Derrick Rose added 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting off the bench to help knock off his former team. Jeff Teague finished with 18 points for Minnesota, which has won back-to-back contests to climb two games within .500.

Zach LaVine scored 28 points to lead Chicago, which fell short for the sixth time in the past seven games. Jabari Parker had a season-high 27 points, and Justin Holiday registered his second consecutive double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Minnesota outscored Chicago 62-46 during the second half to win its fourth straight game at home against the Bulls. Each of the Timberwolves' last three home wins over the Bulls have come by double digits.

Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau improved to 4-1 against the Bulls, with whom he began his head coaching career.

Towns scored at least 30 points and pulled down at least 20 rebounds for the third time in his career. The 23-year-old fell just four points shy of his season high of 39, which he notched Nov. 9 against the Sacramento Kings.

The Timberwolves opened the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to seize command. Towns totaled eight points during the scoring binge, including a jump shot and six free throws. Dario Saric started the run with a slam dunk off a feed from Tyus Jones.

Chicago led 50-49 at halftime. Wendell Carter Jr. and Towns traded baskets in the final minute.

Minnesota held close despite a woeful first half from Andrew Wiggins and Robert Covington, who combined to shoot 0 for 20 from the field. The Bulls also struggled to find their rhythm but leaned on Parker and LaVine, who combined to score 30 points on 17 shots before the break.

Parker scored 20-plus points for the third straight game, which marks his best streak since signing with his hometown Bulls this summer.

The game marked the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams. The series will conclude in Chicago on Dec. 26.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Towns, Wiggins lead Timberwolves past Pelicans

The newest Timberwolves made their debut but it was holdovers Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins who led host Minnesota to a 107-100 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.

Towns had 25 points and 16 rebounds and Wiggins scored 23 points and they were supported by the principal players in the Jimmy Butler trade as Robert Covington scored 13 and Dario Saric came off the bench to score nine. 

Jeff Teague had 14 points and 14 assists, Josh Okogie scored 11 and Taj Gibson 10.

E'Twaun Moore led the Pelicans by scoring 31 points two nights after he had 30 in his team's third straight victory, a 126-110 win at Toronto. 

Anthony Davis had 29 points and 11 rebounds, Nikola Mirotic had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Jrue Holiday had 14 points and 10 assists.

Minnesota, which swept the four-game series against New Orleans last season led by four after three quarters and build the lead to 11 early in the fourth.

Davis scored five points and Holiday's basket completed an 8-0 run that gave New Orleans its only lead of the game at 96-94, but the Pelicans scored just four points in the final four and a half minutes.

Wiggins' 3-pointer put Minnesota back on top and he added a free throw, Covington made a layup and Towns a free throw to increase the lead to 101-96 with three minutes left.

After a basket by Mirotic, Gibson made a free throw and Wiggins had a three-point play to give the Wolves a 105-98 lead.

Minnesota held a 67-54 halftime lead and built the margin to 15 early in the third quarter before New Orleans made a push.

Mirotic made a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 75-59 before the Wolves rebuilt the margin to 10.

Moore and Davis scored five points each as New Orleans got within two before Saric made two free throws to give Minnesota an 85-81 lead after three quarters.

Towns had 15 points as the Wolves took a 38-28 lead after the first period.

They extended the lead to 67-54 at halftime as Towns finished the half with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Westbrook's 19th triple-double not enough for Thunder

LOS ANGELES - Oklahoma City star Russell Westbrook's 19th triple-double of the season wasn't enough on Friday as the Thunder fell 96-86 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.

Westbrook, the NBA's leading scorer and top candidate for Most Valuable Player honors as the season approaches the halfway stage, scored 21 points with 11 rebounds and 12 assists in 36 minutes on the court.

His 19 triple-doubles already this season are the most in one campaign in almost 50 years, since Wilt Chamberlain posted 31 in the 1967-68 season.

He moved past Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who notched 18 triple-doubles in the 1981-82 season and inched closer to Oscar Robertson's single-season record of 41 set in 1961-62.

With 56 career triple-doubles Westbrook is closing in on Larry Bird (59) for fifth on the all-time list.

But on Friday, he also had 10 of the Thunder's 19 turnovers, which led to 33 points for Minnesota.

Karl-Anthony Towns notched his 10th straight double-double with 29 points and 17 rebounds and Minnesota's Spanish guard Ricky Rubio added 14 points and 14 assists.

Andrew Wiggins added 10 points for the Timberwolves, who won their third straight.

The Timberwolves led by as many as nine in the fourth quarter but were down by five at halftime.

But they rallied in the third quarter, and pushed their advantage to as many as 14 points early in the fourth period.

Oklahoma City narrowed the gap to 92-83 on Westbrook's steal and dunk with 1:46 remaining, but Wiggins and Towns scored the next four points.

source: news.abs-cbn.com