Karl-Anthony Towns leads Wolves past struggling Jazz / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports Credit Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports

Karl-Anthony Towns posted a triple-double with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away for a 126-106 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night in Minneapolis.

Player of the Game EFF 42 Karl-Anthony Towns Points 31 Accuracy 10-17 Rebounds 11 Assists 10

Jaden McDaniels added 22 points on a perfect 9-for-9 shooting performance for Minnesota, which snapped a two-game skid. Anthony Edwards scored 15 points and Jordan McLaughlin had 12.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting to lead Utah, which has lost a season-worst five games in a row. Mike Conley scored 22, and Jordan Clarkson had 17 off the bench.

Utah played without Donovan Mitchell (concussion) and Rudy Gobert (left calf strain). The Timberwolves did not have D'Angelo Russell (shin).

Minnesota posted a 40-27 advantage in the third quarter to build a 92-75 lead entering the final 12 minutes.

Conley made a driving layup to trim the Minnesota lead to 54-53 with 9:39 left in the third quarter. From there, the Timberwolves took charge with a 22-7 run over the next 5:22 to pull ahead 76-60 with 4:17 remaining.

Minnesota increased its lead to 19 in the final minute of the third quarter before Clarkson made two free throws to cut it back to 17.

The Jazz never threatened in the fourth quarter, as Minnesota went ahead by 20 points with 9:12 remaining on a 3-pointer by Taurean Prince.

Minnesota led 52-48 at the half.

The Timberwolves opened an eight-point lead late in the first quarter. Jaylen Nowell made a pull-up jump shot to increase the advantage to 26-18 with 52.6 seconds remaining.

In the second quarter, the Jazz went on a 9-0 run to grab the lead. Bogdanovic buried a pair of 3-pointers during the run, and Rudy Gay also drained a shot from beyond the arc.

Utah increased its lead to 48-41 later in the quarter on another 3-pointer by Bogdanovic, this time with 2:23 to go in the first half.

Minnesota closed the half on an 11-0 run to take the lead into intermission. McDaniels and Towns each made a 3-pointer, Edwards and Nowell added baskets and Jarred Vanderbilt contributed a free throw.

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