Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 23 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Brooklyn Nets in a back-and-forth affair, which saw 24 lead changes, 107-102 Tuesday night at Barclays Center.
With Brooklyn trailing 105-102 in the final moments of the contest, Spencer Dinwiddie, who scored a game-high 30 points, attempted a three that was controversially blocked by Edwards with 8.1 seconds left in regulation. Dinwiddie vehemently pleaded to the officials his elbow was contacted by Edwards, but yielded no results. Dinwiddie subsequently attempted a corner three off the inbounds pass that fell short which Edwards’ grabbed and was immediately fouled, sinking both free throws to end the Timberwolves’ three game losing streak.
After the game, Dinwiddie assured he was fouled by Edwards on his penultimate attempted game-tying shot, but ironically stated Zack Zarba and Kevin Cutler were still his favorite officials despite the outcome while stating “they [Zarba, Cutler, Scott Twardoksi definitely missed one…well several actually. It’s a fact, we all saw the replays.”
Including Edwards, all of Minnesota’s starters scored in double figures as Karl Anthony Towns scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Rudy Gobert scored a dozen points & grabbed the same in rebounds, Mike Conely scored 18 points and Jaden
Mc Daniels scored 15 points.
For Brooklyn, which had its three-game winning streak snapped and now sit with a 43-36 record, Mikal Bridges scored 24 points while Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith each scored 14 points.
Brooklyn, vying for the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as the 6th seed, travel overnight to Detroit to face the Pistons tomorrow before completing the regular season hosting the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
