Julius Randle delivered a brilliant performance with 28 points and nine rebounds, steering the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 125–116 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.
The win came despite an unusually subdued outing from Anthony Edwards, who finished with just 11 points in 31 minutes — a stark contrast to the season-high 44 he dropped in Tuesday’s overtime thriller that opened the two-game series.
Balanced Support Cast Powers Minnesota
Minnesota’s depth proved decisive once again as the team secured its fourth consecutive win.
Key contributors included:
Naz Reid: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists
Rudy Gobert: 15 points, 12 rebounds
Donte DiVincenzo: 15 points
Reid, returning to the state where he starred for LSU, was particularly influential during Minnesota’s pivotal fourth-quarter surge.
Pelicans’ Slide Continues
New Orleans suffered its fifth consecutive defeat, dropping to 3–20 on the season.
Trey Murphy III led the way with 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Jeremiah Fears and Saddiq Bey also chipped in 20 points apiece, but the Pelicans again struggled to sustain momentum.
Wolves Take Control in the Fourth Quarter
New Orleans briefly took a 91–88 lead with the opening point of the fourth quarter.
Minnesota responded immediately and emphatically, unleashing a 15–0 run to seize a 103–91 advantage — a gap the Pelicans were never able to close.
Reid fueled the momentum shift with two 3-pointers and a soaring alley-oop dunk that energized the Timberwolves and silenced the home crowd.