Thunder use 3-point barrage to beat Timberwolves
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder relied on strong 3-point shooting Monday night to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-103.
The Thunder set a season high with 21 3-pointers in just 37 attempts (56.8%). Eight of the nine players who entered the game for the Thunder hit at least one 3-pointer. Only center Moses Brown didn’t convert from beyond the arc, but he contributed 17 rebounds.
Reserve guard Ty Jerome led the way by hitting all five of his 3-point attempts. Gilgeous-Alexander was 4 for 6 from deep, while Aleksej Pokuševski and Théo Maledon each hit three 3s.
Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 33 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony Edwards scored 16 points and Ricky Rubio added 11 points and 11 assists for the Wolves, who lost their second straight.
The Thunder entered the game averaging 12.8 3-pointers a game, putting them in the middle of the pack among NBA teams. Their 34.6 shooting percentage on 3s, however, was worse than all but four teams.
Leading by seven points at the break, the Thunder staved off two big Timberwolves runs in the third quarter to maintain their cushion. First, Jake Layman scored on a reverse layup to cap a 10-0 run that gave Minnesota a 6059 lead early in the period.
The Thunder responded with a barrage of 3-pointers, one each from Pokuševski and Isaiah Roby and two from Gilgeous-Alexander that put Oklahoma City back on top 73-62.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called a timeout to stem the tide, and Towns responded by converting a three-point play. KINGS 119, CAVALIERS 105 »
scored 30 points, Tyrese Haliburton had a career-high 28 and Sacramento completed its longest road trip of the season with a victory over Cleveland.
Buddy Hield added 19 points and Richaun Holmes had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Kings, who went 3-3 on their 10day trip. Harrison Barnes made a late run at a tripledouble with nine points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
JaVale McGee paced the Cavaliers with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Collin Sexton had 15 points and seven assists. Cleveland, playing its third home game in four days, trailed for the final 25 minutes and has lost six of eight.
HORNETS 100, SPURS 97 » Gordon Hayward scored 27 points, Terry Rozier added 24 and Charlotte held on to beat San Antonio in the Hornets’ first game since losing LaMelo Ball to injury.
Ball suffered a fractured right wrist Saturday after a hard fall against the Los Angeles Clippers. Regarded as the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year honors, Ball is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
JAZZ 120, BULLS 95 » Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, Rudy Gobert added 21 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high nine blocks, and Utah pounded Chicago.
The Western Conference leaders took control in the first half and rolled to their second straight win after losing five of eight.
BUCKS 140, PACERS 113 » Jrue Holiday had 28 points and 14 assists, and Milwaukee overcame the absence of Giannis Antetokoumpo to breeze past Indiana for the Bucks’ seventh consecutive victory.
Antetokounmpo was sidelined by a sprained left knee. Coach Mike Budenholzer said he thinks the reigning two-time NBA MVP got hurt during a 120-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.