Karl-Anthony Towns scored 40 points on 15-for-25 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a 127-109 win over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Anthony Edwards added 37 points on 14-for-23 shooting, including 7-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc, to lift Minnesota to its 19th win in 24 games to start the season. Naz Reid finished with 17 points off the bench.
Bruce Brown and Aaron Nesmith scored 17 points apiece to lead Indiana, which lost for the second time in as many nights. Myles Turner and Isaiah Jackson finished with 12 points apiece.
The Pacers played without top scorer Tyrese Haliburton, who missed the game because of a bruised knee. He sustained the injury one night earlier against the Washington Wizards.
In addition to missing their best player, the Pacers also dealt with travel complications that caused the team to change its typical routine. Their team plane reportedly had mechanical issues after Friday night’s game in Washington, and players stayed in Washington an extra night.
Because of the additional delay, the Pacers flew to Minneapolis on Saturday and headed straight from the airport to the Timberwolves’ arena.
The game stayed competitive in the first half. The Timberwolves led 57-55 at the break.
In the third quarter, the Timberwolves surged while the Pacers appeared to fatigue. Minnesota enjoyed a 38-23 advantage in the quarter to grab a 95-78 lead entering the final 12 minutes.
The Pacers trailed by eight points after Turner made two free throws with 6:29 to go in the third quarter.
Minnesota took control from there. Reid and Troy Brown Jr. hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start a 12-4 run that put the Timberwolves on top 87-71 with 4:06 left in the third quarter.
Indiana trailed by double digits the rest of the way.
Brown hit a step-back 3-pointer to put the Timberwolves ahead 124-100 with three minutes remaining.
–Field Level Media