(Field Level Media) Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds yesterday to lead the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves to a 102-95 win over Cleveland.
Robert Covington scored 24 points on 8 of 12 from the field, including 4-for-7 from 3-point range. Derrick Rose came off the Minnesota bench and continued to shoot well, hitting 6 of 13 and finishing with 12 points and four assists.
Since the trade of All-Star guard Jimmy Butler, the Timberwolves are 6-2.
Kyle Korver led the Cavaliers with 22 points off the bench. Rodney Hood added 20 points for Cleveland and Tristan Thompson recorded his third straight double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Korver kept the Cavs in the game after the Timberwolves opened up 12-point lead on a Rose step-back jumper with 8:27 left.
Korver connected on two 3-point jumpers, and along with a Larry Nance Jr. dunk, the Cavs were within six at 88-82 with just under six minutes left.
But Rose answered with a baby hook shot and Taj Gibson sank one of two free throws to push the lead back to 91-84.
Korver had a chance to cut the deficit to 91-87 but his 3-point jumper was too strong. On the other end, Hood was called for a foul and Thompson was called for a technical.
Jeff Teague missed the technical but Minnesota couldn’t get a shot off, its first turnover in more than 15 minutes.
Towns hit back-to back hoops to push the lead to 95-86 with 1:21 left and Minnesota hung on even though the Cavs cut the deficit to four with under a minute left.
The Timberwolves led 54-47 at halftime. Covington and Towns led the way with 13 points each.
Hood had 13 points for the Cavaliers, and Korver came off the bench and added eight points in the second quarter to keep Cleveland close after Minnesota had opened up a 14-point lead.
The Cavaliers had their modest two-game win streak snapped. Cleveland also had won five straight at home against the Timberwolves, who won for only the second time in 10 tries on the road this season.
The Timberwolves have won three straight.
