Timberwolves hang on against decimated 76ers to post fifth straight win

It certainly didn't need to be so close.

The Minnesota Timberwolves let a decimated Philadelphia 76ers team hang around for all of the 48 minutes until they eventually left Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia with a 114-109 victory — their fifth straight — Saturday night.

The 76ers (23-55) had nearly as many players ruled out due to injuries (8) as they had available to play in Saturday night's game (10). Philadelphia was down Andre Drummond, Joel Embiid, Paul George, Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry, Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and Kelly Oubre Jr., but still found itself leading early in the fourth quarter after a Quentin Grimes 3-pointer.

It wasn't until Anthony Edwards hit back-to-back 3s during a 10-0 run a few minutes into the fourth quarter that the Wolves (46-32) went ahead for good, but even then, they never gained much separation. Minnesota stretched its lead to double digits midway through the quarter, but found itself leading by just two points with 14.5 seconds left to play.

Despite going ahead 109-103 after a 3 and layup from Edwards, Grimes kept making shots for the 76ers, including a 3 with 31.2 seconds remaining that cut it to 111-109. Edwards hit another 3 with 7.1 seconds remaining to ice the game.

Edwards finished with a game-high 37 points on efficient 12-for-21 shooting that included a highlight-reel dunk in the first quarter when he threw down an emphatic slam over 76ers rookie Adem Bona. He added a pair of assists and a steal.

Grimes led the Sixers with a team-high 28 points.

Minnesota had its opportunities where the team should have taken full control. The Timberwolves went on an 11-0 run early in the second quarter to go ahead by 13 points, their largest lead of the night. That lead was back down to four — the same margin as it was to start the quarter — after the 76ers outscored them 26-17 the remainder of the frame.

The Wolves struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 32%, and they turned it over 15 times, translating to 22 76ers points. They didn't do themselves many favors on the defensive end either, allowing Philly to score 58 points in the paint.

A bright spot was another standout performance from Rudy Gobert, whose effort never waned as he put together another standout performance. Gobert finished with 23 points, 19 rebounds, three blocks and a pair of steals.

It certainly wasn't a pretty performance, but the Wolves did what mattered most and found a way to win as they continue to fight for position in a grueling Western Conference playoff race. Minnesota is currently sixth, but that's far from a lock.

The Wolves return to action Tuesday when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff.

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