Contender for Rookie of The Year for the 2020/21 season Anthony Edwards scored a season-high 42 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves rose to a surprise victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.
Edwards was not the only one on fire as Karl-Anthony Towns also added a season-best 41 to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 123-119 victory, the first of back-to-back games between the clubs.
Towns made five three-pointers and also contributed 10 rebounds and eight assists as the NBA-worst Timberwolves (10-31) won for the third time in their past five games. Edwards, on the other hand, knocked down four three-pointers and collected seven rebounds as Minnesota improved to 5-17 on the road.
Devin Booker also recorded 35 points and six assists for Phoenix but it was ultimately not enough on the day as the Suns lost for just the fifth time in the past 23 games.
Mikal Bridges notched 17 points and eight assists, Chris Paul added 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals, while Deandre Ayton had 14 points and seven boards before fouling out.
The teams would play each other again on Friday night in Phoenix.
Watch Anthony Edwards season-high 42 points performance below
Charlotte Hornets 105 – 116 Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James and the Lakers welcomed former point guard LaMelo Ball back to Los Angeles but it was the Los Angeles-based team who would run out victors on the night.
James poured in 37 points to lift the Lakers to a 116-105 victory over the visiting Charlotte Hornets.
James also contributed eight rebounds and six assists as the Lakers strolled to their fourth consecutive win.
Ball who was formerly the standout at Chino Hills High in the Los Angeles suburbs also put on a show in his Staples Center NBA debut, leading the Hornets with 26 points while also finding time for five rebounds and seven assists.
The 37-point performance was James’ ninth game with 30-plus points this season. His high was 46 at Cleveland on January 25.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI0Cy8qusgM
Schroder assisted James with 22 points to ease the workload in the win and also had a team-high seven assists for the Lakers, who were facing the Hornets for the first time this season.
Ball’s 26-point total was eight shy of his season-best, set against the Utah Jazz on February 5. It was his 14th game with 20 or more points in his rookie season and his eighth game with at least 20 points and seven assists.
Terry Rozier added 20 points for the Hornets, who had had a four-game winning streak snapped at Denver on Wednesday.
Thursday night’s NBA results
- Utah Jazz 122 – 131 Washington Wizards
- Oklahoma City Thunder 93 – 116 Atlanta Hawks
- Orlando Magic 93 – 94 New York Knicks
- Minnesota Timberwolves 123 – 119 Phoenix Suns
- New Orleans Pelicans 93 – 101 Portland Trail Blazers
- Charlotte Hornets 105 – 116 Los Angeles Lakers
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