Jamal Murray scored 18 points, including two free throws with 6.8 seconds left, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 103-101 in Minneapolis on Wednesday night.
Paul Millsap scored 12 of his game-high 25 points during a decisive third quarter and Gary Harris had 17 points for Denver.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and seven rebounds, and Derrick Rose had 20 points off the bench for Minnesota.
Denver led by 13 early in the fourth quarter when its offense went cold and Minnesota got hot. Rose hit four free throws, Dario Saric had a three-point play and then Rose hit a 3-pointer from the top of the circle in a 12-0 run that cut the Nuggets' lead to 89-88.
Harris and Rose traded 3-pointers, and then Harris hit a layup to give Denver a 94-91 lead. After both teams missed, Nikola Jokic hit a 3-pointer to put the Nuggets up 97-91 with 3:07 left.
The Timberwolves got within two on a steal and dunk, but Harris hit a layup and Millsap a runner to make it 101-95.
Minnesota scored four straight but had to foul Murray, who drained two free throws to clinch it.
The Nuggets trailed 56-50 at halftime but caught fire on both ends of the floor in the third quarter. Denver hit 14 of 24 shots and had six steals to take the lead for good.
Harris scored his only points of the third to get things rolling and Millsap had a bucket, split two free throws and then hit a step-back jumper to give the Nuggets a 57-56 lead.
After Andrew Wiggins hit a 3-pointer for the Timberwolves, Murray hit one from behind the arc and Millsap scored seven straight Denver points to put the Nuggets ahead 67-65.
Millsap's 3-pointer started a 16-2 Nuggets run that gave them an 80-67 lead with 1:56 left in the period. Millsap left the game early in the run to get stitches above his left eye and returned midway through the fourth quarter.
Denver outscored Minnesota 35-18 in the third to lead 85-74.
--Field Level Media
Denver | Minnesota | |
Paul Millsap 25 | Scoring | Karl-Anthony Towns 22 |
Nikola Jokic 10 | Assists | Jeff Teague 8 |
Nikola Jokic 12 | Rebounds | Gorgui Dieng 7 |
Gary Harris 2 | Free Throws Made | Karl-Anthony Towns 7 |
Paul Millsap 5 | Steals | Robert Covington 2 |
Jamal Murray 2 | Blocks | Gorgui Dieng 3 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Denver | 103 | 47.2 | 14-35 | 5-6 | 29 | 40 | 4 | 12 | 14 |
Minnesota | 101 | 44.3 | 9-32 | 22-26 | 24 | 40 | 3 | 8 | 18 |