The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the New Orleans Pelicans 115-109 Friday night at Smoothie King Center, closing the game on a 38-point fourth quarter to pull away in NBA Cup group play. Ayo Dosunmu led all scorers with 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Minnesota trailed after each of the first three quarters before a decisive final frame flipped the result. LaMelo Ball added 22 points and a game-high eight assists for the Timberwolves, while Jeremiah Fears paced New Orleans with 24 points and five assists in the loss.
Takeaways From Timberwolves’ Win Over Pelicans
Minnesota’s fourth-quarter surge decided it
The Pelicans led after the first quarter 30-27, at halftime 51-57 and after three quarters 79-85. Minnesota outscored New Orleans 38-30 in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback, the largest period total by either team in the game.
Jaden McDaniels filled the stat sheet in 40 minutes
McDaniels played a team-high 40 minutes and finished with 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, shooting 8-of-19 from the field. His two-way workload helped Minnesota survive a Pelicans attack that shot 42% from three-point range.
New Orleans couldn’t overcome paint and turnover trade-offs
The Pelicans outscored Minnesota 54-50 in the paint and piled up 30 fast-break points to the Timberwolves’ 11, but New Orleans also committed 13 turnovers that Minnesota converted into 22 points. Karlo Matkovic came off the bench for 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three, but the Pelicans’ 28 fouls and three technicals put Minnesota in the bonus repeatedly.
Player Of The Game: Ayo Dosunmu
Dosunmu finished with 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three-point range and 6-of-6 at the free-throw line, in 39 minutes. He added four assists and three steals while playing a key role in Minnesota’s second-half rally.
Timberwolves Vs. Pelicans By The Numbers
Minnesota shot 43% from the field compared to New Orleans’ 45%, but the Timberwolves made 27 of 37 free throws to the Pelicans’ 21-of-26. Minnesota also won the rebounding battle 49-41, including a 17-12 edge on the offensive glass. The Pelicans shot a hotter 42% from three-point range on 24 attempts, against Minnesota’s 31% on 39 attempts, yet Minnesota’s volume and free-throw advantage closed the gap. New Orleans forced seven steals but gave up 22 points off its own 13 turnovers.
What It Means
Minnesota improved to 7-3 and sits a half-game behind Oklahoma City and Portland in the Northwest Division, extending its winning streak to three games, according to the official NBA standings. New Orleans fell to 4-5 and dropped to third in the Southwest Division, three games behind division-leading Houston. Minnesota also leads the season series 1-0 over New Orleans.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
