MINNEAPOLIS — Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 15 rebounds, and Jeff Teague added 23 points and 10 assists in his return to the Minnesota lineup in the Timberwolves’ 120-103 comeback victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

Taj Gibson added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota. The Timberwolves recovered from a 19-point deficit midway through the second quarter with a 44-12 run through the 5:51 of the third quarter.

Nikola Vucevic had 22 points for Orlando, but just eight after the first quarter. The Magic, who had won three of four, hit 26 of their first 34 shots (76.4 percent) before fading.

Terrence Ross scored 13 points off the bench for Orlando, but he missed his final four 3-pointers after starting 3 of 5 from beyond the arc during the Magic’s hot start. Evan Fournier added 21 points.

Teague wasn’t rusty in his return after missing nine games due to left ankle inflammation.

With the Wolves also missing backup point guard Derrick Rose and starting forward Robert Covington, Teague was 8 of 10 from the field and hit all three of his 3-pointers, including a quick shot from 28 feet to beat the 24-second clock on one third-quarter possession.

It was Teague’s fourth game of the season with at least 20 points.

Minnesota found a way to slow Orlando in the second and continued the momentum into the second half. The Magic missed 12 of their final 14 shots of the first half and were 7 of 23 in the third quarter.

Teague and Towns took over offensively in the second half. Teague had nine points and four assists in the third, and Towns had 21 points in the second half after first-half foul trouble.

JAZZ 117, CAVALIERS 91: Donovan Mitchell scored 18 points and Utah dominated the second half, sending Cleveland to its eighth straight loss, in Cleveland.

Cleveland (8-31) has the worst record in the NBA, with four of the losses in the streak coming by 20 or more points.

The Jazz trailed by one at halftime, but outscored the Cavaliers 69-42 in the second half and built a 34-point late in the game. Utah placed eight players in double figures.

Jae Crowder, acquired from Cleveland last season, scored 16 points. Ricky Rubio, who was listed at questionable with a sore left foot, added 15, while Rudy Gobert had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Alec Burks scored 17 points and rookie Collin Sexton had 13 for the Cavaliers.

Cleveland led 64-61 midway through the third quarter, but Mitchell’s 3-pointer tied the game and began a 20-7 run to end the period.

Kyle Korver, acquired from Cleveland in November, was fouled shooting a 3-pointer and made all three shots. Crowder hit a 3-pointer and Utah led 81-71 going to the fourth quarter.

Utah’s blitz continued in the fourth on an assortment of 3-pointers and layups that sent fans heading to the exits early.

The Cavaliers opened the second quarter with a 14-2 run, sparked by 3-pointers from Rodney Hood, Alec Burks and Channing Frye, and led 45-36. Mitchell scored nine points in the final four minutes, including a 30-foot jumper and Utah trailed 49-48 at halftime.

The Cavaliers have struggled all season. Tyronn Lue was fired as coach after four games and Cleveland began the season 0-6. All-Star forward Kevin Love had left foot surgery on Nov. 2, playing in only four games. Love has been cleared to begin some basketball activities, but no timetable has been given for his return.

The win was Utah’s first in Cleveland since a 109-100 victory on March 5, 2012.

HEAT 115, WIZARDS 109: Hassan Whiteside scored 21 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, and Miami Heat moved over the .500 mark for the first time since late October with a victory over Washington in Miami.

Josh Richardson added 18 points, James Johnson had 17 and Dwyane Wade scored 14 for Miami. The Heat had lost each of their last four games in which they could have gotten over .500, where they last were on Oct. 27 at 3-2.

Justise Winslow had 13 points and 10 assists for Miami, which has won 12 of its last 17. Bam Adebayo scored 11 points.

Bradley Beal led all scorers with 33 points for Washington, which had the NBA’s longest current road losing streak extended to eight games. Beal also had nine rebounds and seven assists.

Trevor Ariza scored 21, Otto Porter Jr. had 14 and Jeff Green and Thomas Bryant each added 10 for Washington.

Washington cut the Miami lead to three on a driving layup by Beal with 1:27 remaining. Wade made one free throw on the next Miami possession, moments before Beal connected on a pullup 3 to get Washington within 110-109.

Winslow cut across the lane for a wild layup to restore Miami’s three-point edge, just before Washington came within a smidge of tying the game — but Green’s 3-point try from the right wing hit the rim twice and rattled out. Adebayo made the second of two free throws with 19.4 seconds left, and Wade sealed it with two more from the line.

NETS 109, GRIZZLIES 100: D’Angelo Russell had 23 points and 10 assists, DeMarre Carroll added 20 points, including a season-high five 3-pointers, and Brooklyn Nets won in Memphis, Tennessee.

Joe Harris added 18 points for the Nets, who had six players in double figures. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 13 points and Jarrett Allen had 12 points and 12 rebounds, including five off the offensive glass.

Mike Conley, held scoreless in Wednesday’s loss to Detroit, led the Grizzlies with 31 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 19 as Memphis lost its fourth in a row.

PACERS 119, BULLS 116: Victor Oladipo made a 3-pointer from just above the top of the arc with 0.3 seconds left in overtime to give Indiana its sixth straight victory, winning in Chicago.

Oladipo had 36 points and seven rebounds, and Domantas Sabonis added 23 points and 12 rebounds in the first game of a five-game trip.

Chicago’s Zach LaVine hit a 3-pointer from the corner, but after time ran out in the extra period.

« Previous

Next »

Related Stories