MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — LaMelo Ball scored 35 points and Miles Bridges added 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the surging Charlotte Hornets in a 122-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
Coby White had 17 points for the Hornets (43-36), who shot 48.9% from the floor (45 for 92) on the way to their fourth straight win. They’re a half-game out of sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
Ball was 7 for 14 from deep, his league -leading eighth game this season with at least seven 3-pointers. This was also Ball’s 20th game with five-plus 3s.
Charlotte, which is 9-2 since mid-March and 39-22 since Thanksgiving Day, has not made the playoffs in 10 years. At this rate, the Hornets might even be able to skip the play-in games and secure a first round spot.
The Timberwolves (46-32) have yet to do so, having lost four of five games since ace defender and third-leading scorer Jaden McDaniels was sidelined by a left knee injury. They also played without star Anthony Edwards for the eighth time in their last 10 games due to lingering pain in his right knee.
Coach Chris Finch said before the game he doesn’t believe “there’s any great concern for anything longer-term,” but Edwards’ status remains uncertain.
Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 26 points, and Bones Hyland provided their biggest boost off the bench with 18 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Minnesota is in sixth place in the Western Conference, three games ahead of Phoenix (43-35) above the play-in cut with four games to play.
Hyland hit a 3-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer that gave the Timberwolves a 60-55 lead, but Bridges and the Hornets burst out in the third quarter and were up by 10 by the end of that period.
Up next
Hornets: Visit Boston on Tuesday.
Timberwolves: Visit Indiana on Tuesday.