Nuggets 78, Timberwolves 74
MINNEAPOLIS -- Forward Danilo Gallinari scored a game-high 20 points, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 78-74 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at Target Center.
Trailing by two, Minnesota had a chance to tie the game late, but guard Andrew Wiggins missed a pair of shots, and center Karl-Anthony Towns had his put-back attempt blocked.
Denver forward Will Barton sank both of his free throws to make it a two-possession game.
Gallinari had 10 points during the third quarter, including a 3-pointer to cap a 15-4 run that gave the Nuggets their first lead since early in the second quarter.
Minnesota led by as many as 10 points early in the third behind an 8-2 surge out of the locker room.
Towns led the Timberwolves 14 points and 14 rebounds as Minnesota lost for the fourth consecutive game and the eighth time in nine games overall.
Nuggets forward Jusef Nurkic had 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench as Denver snapped a six-game losing streak with its first win since Dec. 23.
Denver (13-23) stayed in the game in the first half thanks to its accuracy from beyond the arc. The Nuggets trailed by four points after the first quarter and by just two at the half despite shooting 36.6 percent from the floor. Denver connected on six of 10 3-pointers in the first half.
Minnesota (12-24) shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half but attempted only four 3-pointers, connecting on two of them. For the game, the Timberwolves hit 38.4 percent of their field-goal attempts, including three of 11 from long distance.
The Nuggets finished with a 46-40 edge on the glass and outscored the Wolves 30-26 in the paint.
Wiggins wound up with 11 points, and center Nikola Pekovic had 12 points off the bench for Minnesota.
NOTES: Nuggets G Emmanuel Mudiay was a late scratch because of a lingering ankle injury. Mudiay has missed the past month because of the ailment sustained against the Timberwolves on Dec. 15. ... Timberwolves C Nikola Pekovic was active for the first time this season after recovering from surgery to his Achilles tendon in April. ... Denver completes a stretch of four-of-five games on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. ... Minnesota continues its four-game homestand the same night when it hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers.