Timberwolves 100, Cavaliers 92: Luke Ridnour scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead all five starters in double figures as visiting Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak.
Nikola Pekovic added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Ricky Rubio had 13 points, 10 assists and five steals as the Timberwolves halted a string of eight straight road losses.
Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Tristan Thompson added 16 points and nine rebounds for Cleveland, which lost its second straight following a three-game winning streak.
Derrick Williams and Alexey Shved scored 12 points apiece for Minnesota, which hit eight consecutive shots after the Cavaliers had rallied to tie it at 76 on C.J. Miles' 3-pointer with just under nine minutes to play.
Ridnour scored six points in a 10-2 run to extend the lead to nine points and, after Cleveland scored six straight to get within 92-89, he buried a killer 3-pointer with 1:43 to play.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Ridnour is averaging 15.6 points and shooting 58.6 percent in his last five games. ... Irving hobbled off the floor in the final minute of the first half with a sprained ankle but was back to start the second half. ... Timberwolves F Andrei Kirilenko (quadriceps) sat out his fourth consecutive game.
Minnesota | Cleveland | |
Luke Ridnour 21 | Scoring | Kyrie Irving 20 |
Ricky Rubio 10 | Assists | Kyrie Irving 7 |
Nikola Pekovic 10 | Rebounds | Tristan Thompson 9 |
Nikola Pekovic 4 | Free Throws Made | Tristan Thompson 6 |
Ricky Rubio 5 | Steals | Tristan Thompson 4 |
Dante Cunningham 2 | Blocks | Shaun Livingston 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Minnesota | 100 | 52.0 | 8-14 | 14-17 | 25 | 36 | 6 | 10 | 22 |
Cleveland | 92 | 50.6 | 5-18 | 7-11 | 24 | 31 | 7 | 12 | 20 |