Anthony Edwards scored 31 points in 38 minutes, guiding the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 108-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Minneapolis on Saturday night. Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 21 points off the bench for Minnesota, enhancing their Western Conference-leading record to 24-7. Mike Conley added 15 points and seven assists, while Rudy Gobert recorded 13 points and 13 rebounds. Anthony Davis led the Lakers with an impressive performance, notching 33 points, 17 rebounds, and eight assists, along with four steals and two blocked shots. Despite Davis’s efforts, the Lakers, now 0-2 against Minnesota this season, fell short. LeBron James, celebrating his 39th birthday, finished with 26 points on 10-for-21 shooting. No other Lakers player scored in double digits. A technical foul on Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels provided the Lakers with a chance to mount a comeback in the final 31 seconds. Austin Reaves made the technical free throw, and James completed a three-point play on McDaniels’ initial foul, narrowing the gap to 107-104. With 3.1 seconds remaining, James attempted a game-tying 3-pointer, but his foot was ruled to be on the line, resulting in a two-point basket. This decision preserved a 107-106 lead for Minnesota.
Edwards drew a foul with 1.1 seconds remaining and successfully made one of two free throws, securing a two-point lead for the Timberwolves. The Lakers’ final play fell short as the buzzer signaled the end of the game. Minnesota held a 61-57 lead at halftime. Despite the Lakers initially surging to a 17-6 lead within the first five minutes, the Timberwolves fought back, taking a 22-21 lead later in the first quarter. Kyle Anderson’s jump shot, assisted by Alexander-Walker, propelled Minnesota to the lead. The Lakers regained a 10-point advantage early in the second quarter, reaching 39-29 after Christian Wood made one of two free throws with 9:29 left before halftime. Minnesota then outscored the Lakers 32-19 to close the half.