PHILADELPHIA -- A well-traveled point guard is leading the Philadelphia 76ers out of the wilderness.

Ish Smith had 21 points and 11 assists as the 76ers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-99 on Monday, their third victory in six games since he was acquired from New Orleans in a trade on Dec. 24.

Before that, Philadelphia was 1-30.

"I think we have such a young team that his personality pairs up with their youthful spirit a lot," coach Brett Brown said. "He can get those guys wound up."

The 27-year-old Smith also spent 25 games with Philadelphia in 2014-15, one of nine teams for which he has played during a six-year NBA career that has seen him traded five times and waived on six occasions. The 76ers did not re-sign him after the season, and he caught on with the Pelicans.

It is in Philadelphia, however, that he has done his best work. On Monday, the 76ers established season highs for field goals (48) and shooting percentage (55.2), the first time Philadelphia shot 55 percent or more while sinking at least 48 shots since Feb. 16, 2011, at Houston.

"I kind of just play off instinct," Smith said. "A lot of times I might see you open, I might throw you open or I just might make a play that gets you a little shot."

Smith also scored eight of his points in the final 4:38, when Philadelphia salted the game away.

Reserve forwards Richaun Holmes and Carl Landry had 17 and 16 points, respectively, for the 76ers. They combined for 12 in the fourth quarter.

Center Jahlil Okafor and center/forward Nerlens Noel finished with 10 apiece for Philadelphia. Noel also collected nine rebounds and three of the Sixers' 10 blocked shots.

Guard Shabazz Muhammad scored a season-high 20 points off the bench for the Timberwolves, who lost for the seventh time in eight games to fall to 12-23. Guard Andrew Wiggins had 16 for Minnesota (12-23).

"They just played harder, played better," said coach Sam Mitchell, who met with his players behind closed doors after the game. "Once they started making shots, they just got on a roll. They out-competed us."

A jumper by backup point guard T.J. McConnell with 9:27 left snapped an 87-87 tie and put the 76ers ahead to stay.

After a free throw by Wiggins made it 89-88, the 76ers scored 14 of the next 18 points, six of those by Landry, to go up 103-92 with 3:31 left.

The first half featured six ties and 12 lead changes, and little defense. The Timberwolves shot a robust 56.8 percent, while the Sixers nailed 52.4 percent of their attempts from the floor.

Muhammad scored 10 points for the Timberwolves, who used a run late in the second quarter to carry a 50-47 lead into the break.

Smith had 10 points and four assists in the first half for Philadelphia, while Holmes scored nine off the bench.

Okafor reeled off eight straight Sixers points early in the third quarter, giving Philadelphia a brief lead and sending rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns to the bench with his fourth foul. The Timberwolves weathered the storm for a time behind Muhammad and fellow sub Gorgui Dieng, but the 76ers notched seven of the period's last nine points to nose in front, 80-79, heading into the fourth quarter.

NOTES: Earlier in the day the Sixers signed free-agent F Elton Brand and waived rookie F Christian Wood. "His role will be one of guidance, one of mentorship," coach Brett Brown said of Brand, who is 36 years old and in his 17th season. ... Brown called Chucky Okafor, father of rookie C Jahlil Okafor "a good guy," two days after a Philadelphia fan named Michael H. Weber tweeted that the elder Okafor heckled Brown during a loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles. "I think that he loves his son," Brown said. Jahlil Okafor said he didn't know what happened Saturday and added, "I don't know why you (media) guys are worried about my dad. He's not in the NBA. He's not on the team. You'd be better to find something more than my dad to write about." ... Brown also said he has met with G Kendall Marshall and his father, Dennis, about tweets from the elder Marshall's account suggesting that Brown's player rotation is racially motivated. "Nobody's overreacting," Brown said. "We'll move on. We love our kids, and sometimes things come out." ... Minnesota C Karl-Anthony Towns was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December.