Timberwolves pull away from Suns late
PHOENIX -- Minnesota forward Andrew Wiggins had 25 points, and center Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 and 10 rebounds and the Timberwolves pulled away for a 98-85 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Friday.
Wiggins and Towns took advantage of defensive mismatches to score 14 points in the final seven minutes, helping Minnesota (5-11) break a three-game losing streak.
Zach LaVine had 13 points and Gorgui Dieng and Ricky Rubio had 11 apiece as the Timberwolves finished on a 24-5 run after forward P.J. Tucker's free throw gave the Suns an 80-74 led with 7:13 remaining.
Phoenix guard Eric Bledsoe had 23 points and Brandon Knight added 15 as the Suns (5-12) lost for the third time in four games.
Minnesota shot only 40 percent, making 34-of-85 field goal attempts, but stayed in the game by making 23-of-25 free throws.
The Timberwolves are shooting 39.9 percent in their last four games.
Towns was guarded by rookie Marquese Chriss down the stretch, and Wiggins was covered by guard Devin Booker.
Knight made his third straight start in a three-guard lineup necessitated by the absence of small forward T. J. Warren, who missed his third straight game with what the Suns are calling a minor head injury.
Towns had seven points, including a 3-pointer and an assist in an 11-2 run that gave the Timberwolves an 87-81 lead with 4:51 remaining, just the beginning of the run. Dieng had a follow slam and LaVine turned a steal into a layup before Wiggins found his offense after starting 4-for-14 from the field.
Booker had 11 points for the Suns, who posted a 48-39 rebounding advantage and shot 40.5 percent from the field.
Bledsoe scored nine straight Suns' points in a 13-5 run for a 69-56 lead with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Suns' biggest lead.
Knight had 13 points in the first half. His 3-pointer broke a tie at 47, and his two free throws with 10.6 seconds remaining made it 52-47 at halftime.
The Timberwolves shot 34.1 percent from there field in the first half. Towns and Wiggins had 24 points in the first half but were 7 of 20 from the field.
NOTES: Suns C Tyson Chandler did not start, but was expected to play after missing seven of the last eight games following the passing of his mother on Nov. 8. Chandler had five points and five rebounds in 21 minutes in the one game he played since then, on Nov. 18. In Chandler's absence, the Suns started three guards -- Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker and Brandon Knight for the third straight game. ... Timberwolves F Andrew Wiggins had 34 points on 9-of-48 shooting in the previous three games. "They (defense) are loading up pretty good on him right now," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We went through his shots, and a lot went in and out." ... Suns F T. J. Warren missed his third straight game with a minor head injury and has said he expects to miss two weeks. He has not played since starting, but logging only nine minutes, at Indiana on Nov. 18.