Anthony Edwards scores 38 as Timberwolves return to form, beat Wizards 118-107

WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 38 points and the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves avoided their first three-game skid of the season, beating the Washington Wizards 118-107 on Wednesday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Wolves. Minnesota was coming off a home loss to lowly Charlotte in which Towns scored 62 points, a performance coach Chris Finch called “disgusting” and “immature.”

Deni Avdija scored a season-high 24 points for the Wizards, who dropped their fifth straight, the fourth skid of at least that many games for the league's second-worst team. Washington has only one win this season over a team that came in with a winning record.

Marvin Bagley III had 17 points and a season-high 15 rebounds for the Wizards, and Kyle Kuzma added 17 points, 14 boards and eight assists.

Washington hung with Minnesota throughout the first half, and Avdija sparked a burst late in the second quarter that allowed the Wizards to push ahead 59-57 at halftime.

But the Wizards had little answer for the Wolves' size advantage, especially after starting center Daniel Gafford picked up his fifth foul with 7:01 left in the third quarter. He exited during what became a 16-2 run for Minnesota.

Finch said his team would learn from Monday's defeat — in which the Wolves lost cohesion while trying to help Towns have a career night — and that Edwards would be more assertive if a similar situation arose in the future.

Edwards and Towns started off cold. Each was 3 of 10 from the field late in the first half, but they heated up after halftime.

Towns scored 13 points in the third quarter. Two nights after he made eight 3-pointers in the first half, Towns missed his first six 3s before he finally got one to drop in the fourth.

Edwards had 15 points in the final period.

The Wolves improved to 1-2 this season without veteran point guard Mike Conley, who sat out because of an illness. He also missed Monday's game.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: At Brooklyn on Thursday night.

Wizards: Host Utah on Thursday night.

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