Shaedon Sharpe scores 27 points, Blazers edge Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS(AP) — Shaedon Sharpe scored 27 points, Kevin Knox II added 19points and the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers beat theplayoff-hopeful Minnesota Timberwolves 107-105 on Sunday.

TrendonWatford had 15 points and Skylar Mays finished with 13 points andnine assists in his second game with Portland, which had lost 11 of12 and was without four regular starters.

The TrailBlazers trailed by 12 late in the third quarter before rallying tobeat Minnesota, which started the day ninth in the WesternConference.

“Everysingle person that got out on that floor tonight, they gave it allthey had and that’s all I want from our guys,” Portland coachChauncey Billups said. “To play as hard as you can, play unselfishand be a good teammate and see what happens.”

AnthonyEdwards scored 37 points for the Timberwolves, who have lost threein a row and started the day a half-game behind the Los AngelesLakers and a game ahead of Oklahoma City for the 10th and the finalplay-in spot in the West.

“We havetoo many guys not playing really well right now,” Minnesota coachChris Finch said. “This was kind of who we’ve been all season inthese types of games and we do it again. You know, obviously,timing of it is extra painful, but we got to get guys playingbetter.”

Whilethey’re in the running for the playoffs, the Timberwolves are 5-10against the five teams with the worst records in the NBA.

“We alwaysfall short, it seems,” Edwards said of struggles against the bottomteams. “It always haunts us. And tonight, once again, yep.”

Edwards’dunk gave Minnesota an 84-72 lead with 3:37 left in the thirdquarter before the Trail Blazers went on a 19-4 run to take afourth-quarter lead with 7:57 left. The Timberwolves shot 6 of 17in the fourth and Portland outscored them by six.

“I think weexecuted plays,” said Mays, a 2020 second-round draft pick byAtlanta who signed a 10-day contract with the Trail Blazers onMarch 30. “I think we defended and made shots tough on them andattacked mismatches. I thought we were pretty good.”

Edwards putMinnesota ahead with 2:22 left, but Sharpe converted a lay-up onthe other end. Sharpe, the rookie who was the No. 7 overall draftpick, scored six points during an 8-3 run.

“He’s justgrowing up, man,” Billups said. “He’s just growing up and it’s funwatching him.”

Trailing bytwo, the Timberwolves couldn’t get a clean shot off on their finalpossession as Anderson’s wayward attempt landed on top of thebackboard.

“You haveto have the appropriate fear in this league and a respect for, Idon’t want to say these type of teams, but the teams that ain’tdoing so well,” Anderson said. “We got to be able to handlebusiness.”

TOUGH FINISH

Portlandwas 26-26 on Feb. 3 and had won five of six, firmly in the playoffrace. Five days later, the Blazers made moves at the trade deadlineto acquire Knox, Cam Reddish, Matisse Thybulle and Ryan Arcidiaconowhile trading Josh Hart and Gary Payton Jr.

They went5-17 following the trade deadline. Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkichave missed six games in a row, Anfernee Simons has been out forseven straight and Jerami Grant missed his 10th in a row onSunday.

WithoutReddish (lumbar soreness) and Nasir Little (left ankle sprain) onSunday, the Trail Blazers were missing nine of their top 12 scorersin total points this season either due to injury or trades.

TIP-INS

TrailBlazers: Portland scored 21 points off 18 Minnesota turnovers. TheBlazers only had 10 turnovers and also had 25 fast-break points.... Jeenathan Williams made his Portland debut with seven points in13 minutes.

Timberwolves: An illness has gone through the team. Edwards andKarl-Anthony Towns were questionable because of illness and AustinRivers missed the game with the issue. Towns finished with eightpoints and nine rebounds in 25 minutes. ... Naz Reid missed hissecond game with a broken bone in his left wrist. ... Rudy Goberthad 10 points and 15 rebounds.

UPNEXT

TrailBlazers: At Memphis on Tuesday night.

Timberwolves: At Brooklyn on Tuesday night.