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The Timberwolves won their first game in six
tries under new coach Chris Finch, a one-time New Orleans
assistant who was hired from Toronto's staff when Ryan Saunders
was fired last month.
Minnesota, which has the worst record in the NBA, won for just
the eighth time and improved to 2-0 against the Pelicans. The
host Wolves won 120-110 on Jan. 23.
Jaden McDaniels scored 20, Karl-Anthony Towns had 16, Naz Reid
had 15 and Jake Layman 12.
Zion Williamson scored 24 points, Steven Adams had 13 points and
12 rebounds, Brandon Ingram scored 13, Jaxson Hayes and Kira
Lewis Jr. added 11 each and Lonzo Ball and Nickeil
Alexander-Walker 10 each to lead New Orleans.
The Wolves made 19 of 40 3-pointers and the Pelicans made six of
32.
Minnesota turned a 16-point first-quarter deficit into a
seven-point halftime lead, which grew to 12 points twice early
in the third quarter.
Edwards scored five straight points as the Wolves extended their
lead to 88-70 midway through the quarter.
Adams' tip-in ended a more than three-minute scoring drought for
New Orleans, but Minnesota increased the lead to 20 on two
occasions before grabbing a 105-82 lead at the end of the
quarter.
The Wolves led by 30 midway through the fourth quarter.
The score was tied at four before Williamson had seven points
and an assist during a 9-0 run.
Ricky Rubio's layup ended the run and the Pelicans extended the
lead to 24-8 before the Wolves' offense picked up. McDaniel had
seven points as Minnesota used a 19-10 run to cut the deficit to
34-27 at the end of the first quarter.
New Orleans scored the first five points and still had a
10-point lead before the Wolves turned things around. They
pulled even at 46 and the score was tied twice more before
Minnesota finished with a 14-7 run to take a 67-60 halftime
lead.
--Field Level Media
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