Edwards carries Minnesota by Nuggets in series opener

Anthony Edwards scored a playoff career-high 43 points, Naz Reid had 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, and visiting Minnesota beat defending NBA champion Denver 106-99 in Game 1 of their second-round series Saturday.

Edwards was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 25 points, before Reid took charge late. Karl-anthony Towns added 20 points for the third-seeded Timberwolves despite dealing with foul trouble.

Rudy Gobert had 13 rebounds for Minnesota, which held a 42-34 edge on the boards and limited the second-seeded Nuggets to three offensive rebounds.

Game 2 is Monday in Denver.

Three days after undergoing knee surgery, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was on the bench in the second row, next to the scorer’s table and behind assistant coach Micah Nori, who did the instructing, roaming and switching.

Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 32 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and seven turnovers for the Nuggets. Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points, and Jamal Murray scored all of his 17 points in the second half for Denver.

Tied at 84, Minnesota went on an 18-7 run to break it open. Reid had 10 straight Timberwolves points in the pivotal stretch.

Last year, Minnesota was a tough first-round opponent for the Nuggets despite being without Reid (broken wrist) and Jaden Mcdaniels (broken hand) and with Towns coming off a severe calf strain that had cost him 52 games.

This time, not a single Timberwolves player was listed on the injury report.

David Zalubowski The Associated Press Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards looks to pass while pressured by Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. in Minnesota’s win Saturday.