Karl-Anthony Towns scored 25 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and handed out seven assists on Tuesday to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 118-91 road win over the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns were seeking payback after Derrick Rose's buzzer-beating shot on Sunday lifted the Timberwolves to a 116-114 win, but Towns and Minnesota had other ideas.
Towns scored 20 points, hauled down 11 boards and dished out five assists in the first half as the Timberwolves built a 15-point halftime lead.
The Suns trailed by just two after a 3-pointer by Dragan Bender made the score 44-42 with 6:51 to play in the second period. Towns and Jerryd Bayless connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to push the Minnesota lead to eight.
After a Bender free throw, Towns and Rose each made easy baskets and the Timberwolves rolled to the win.
Phoenix played without Deandre Ayton (left ankle sprain) and Richaun Holmes (right ankle sprain) for the second straight game.
The Suns also lost T.J. Warren, who went to the locker room at the end of the second quarter with a sore right ankle and did not return. Warren, who scored 21 points in the loss Sunday night, managed only four points.
With 5:24 left in the third, the tensions rose when Devin Booker and Gorgui Dieng tangled. Both were ejected. Booker, the Suns' leading scorer at 24.5 points per game, finished with just 14 points.
Josh Jackson took Warren's place in the lineup to start the third period. Jackson had scored 15 first-half points and finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds.
Bender got a second straight start and finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Josh Okogie finished with 21 points and Andrew Wiggins added 17 for the Timberwolves, who won for the second straight game.
The Suns lost for the fifth straight time.
Minnesota took a 32-27 lead after one quarter. Towns had nine and Wiggins scored eight points to lead the Timberwolves.
Jackson scored 11 first-quarter points off the bench to keep the Suns close.
--Field Level Media
Minnesota | Phoenix | |
Karl-Anthony Towns 25 | Scoring | Josh Jackson 27 |
Jerryd Bayless 7 | Assists | Devin Booker 4 |
Karl-Anthony Towns 18 | Rebounds | Dragan Bender 10 |
Taj Gibson 5 | Free Throws Made | Josh Jackson 5 |
Jerryd Bayless 2 | Steals | De'Anthony Melton 2 |
Karl-Anthony Towns 1 | Blocks | Josh Jackson 3 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Minnesota | 118 | 43.7 | 15-42 | 13-19 | 30 | 64 | 1 | 7 | 15 |
Phoenix | 91 | 42.5 | 7-34 | 10-18 | 23 | 34 | 9 | 6 | 14 |