Beal, Wizards overcome 20-point deficit to beat Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS(AP) — The Washington Wizards looked ready to start their All-Starbreak early, before Bradley Beal helped snap them out of theirfunk.

Thisnew-look, still-adjusting team has been starting to turn acorner.

Beal had 13of his 35 points over the final 4 1/2 minutes to help the Wizardsfinish their rally from a 20-point first-quarter deficit and beatthe Minnesota Timberwolves 114-106 on Thursday night.

Kyle Kuzma —who had 16 points on just 6-for-21 shooting — swished atop-of-the-key fadeaway from deep for a 107-106 lead that wasWashington’s first of the game with 1:14 to go.

“We’ve justgot to keep building these habits that we’re doing right now,”Kuzma said. “I think we’re playing great team ball right now.”

Beal, whotopped the 30-point mark for the third time in four games, followedwith a 3-pointer with 37 seconds left — after a miss by Minnesota’sAnthony Edwards — to make it 110-106.

“Probablythis is the best game for me this season so far, because of how weshowed our heart, we stayed in the game, we kept playing,” saidKristaps Porzingis, who had 14 points. “Some guys were already likechecked out a little bit. We locked back in and we pulled it out ofsomewhere.”

Corey Kispertscored 15 points off the bench to offset off nights by Kuzma andPorzingis and help the Wizards (28-30) build on their recentmomentum entering the All-Star break. They have won 10 of theirlast 14 and hold the 10th and final spot for the Eastern Conferenceplayoffs.

“We’re stilllearning each other, but now we feel like we can take off running,”Beal said.

Edwards had18 of his 34 points in the first quarter to help the Timberwolvessurge to a 30-10 lead. They were still ahead 99-92 with 4:38 leftafter three free throws by Kyle Anderson, before Beal hit awide-open 3-pointer to spark his late surge.

Rudy Goberthad 17 points and 19 rebounds for the Timberwolves (31-30), whowere derailed by their characteristic mid-game lulls and missed anopportunity to move a season-best three games above the .500mark.

With theWizards wearing their hot pink “City Edition” uniforms inanode to the city’s iconic cherry blossoms, the Wolves werethe hotter team for most of the game while new point guard MikeConley continued to help Gobert find his offensive groove with thepick-and-rolls and lob passes they perfected together in Utah.

But Edwards —who had six turnovers — began to make some rash decisions after hisstrong start, and the Wolves were outrebounded and outhustled downthe stretch.

“We’ve doneit time and time again,” said Anderson, who had 18 points and eightrebounds. “It stings like hell.”

The Wizardshave won seven straight games against the Wolves, extending thelongest streak in the history of their series.

“I feel likeit’s the same story,” Gobert said. “We get a lead, and then we justlose the urgency.”

ANTGOES MARCHING

Edwards, whowas added to the All-Star roster last weekas an injuryreplacement, washeaded to Utahfor the annual in-seasonshowcase this weekend while his teammates scattered onvacations.

“I thinkmoments like that are perfectly suited for him,” Timberwolves coachChris Finch said. “He enjoys that type of environment. It’ll be funfor him in and around all of those other players. He’ll get treatedlike the star that he is becoming.”

TIP-INS

Wizards:Beal, who became the second player in franchise history to hit the15,000-point mark for his career in a loss on Monday at GoldenState, went 14 for 28 from the floor. ... Kispert went 4 for 6 from3-point range. He was 5 for 22 over his last five games.

Timberwolves:Edwards had only one higher-scoring first quarter in his three-yearcareer, with 19 points at Orlando on Nov. 16. ... Towns missed his40th straight game with the right calf strain he suffered whenMinnesota played at Washington on Nov. 28.