Anthony Edwards scores go-ahead basket, Timberwolves top Nuggets in 119-116 thriller
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Anthony Edwards hit a go-ahead 7-foot floater with 25.7 seconds left, and Rudy Gobert iced the game with two free throws to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Denver Nuggets 119-116 on Friday night.
Edwards scored 29 points, Gobert had 17 points and 14 rebounds and Julius Randle added 23 points and seven assists for the Timberwolves, who recovered from a 25-3 fourth-quarter run by the Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds and hit two free throws with 2:30 left to put Denver up 116-109, before Minnesota roared back. Jokic had a chance to tie the game at 119, but Gobert forced an errant corner 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds to go.
Gordon led the Nuggets with 31 points and 11 rebounds in a rematch of last season's Western Conference semifinal.
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Michael Porter Jr. added 26 points for the Nuggets, who lost point guard Jamal Murray to the concussion protocol in the third quarter after colliding with Randle.
Takeaways
Nuggets: Lightening some of the load that's on the three-time NBA MVP Jokic will be a key to keeping their window for championship contention open, and Gordon and Porter did their part. But the lack of depth is a concern. Their bench was outscored 31-13.
Timberwolves: After leading the league in defense last season, they've sprung some leaks, particularly in transition. The Nuggets had 22 fast-break points.
Key moment
Braun dunked over the 7-foot-2 Gobert with 5:14 left and got even closer to his face with a taunting scream that egged Gobert into grabbing Braun by the neck. The benches cleared, shouts were exchanged, and both players got a technical.
Key stat
Gordon had his second-highest scoring total in four-plus seasons with the Nuggets. He shot 11 for 18.
Up next
The Timberwolves play at San Antonio on Saturday.
