MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards had 18 of his 43 points in the third quarter to help the Minnesota Timberwolves pull away from the Utah Jazz for a 116-105 victory on Sunday to secure a spot in the playoffs and stay out of the play-in games.
Rudy Gobert had 19 points and 18 rebounds and Donte DiVincenzo added 16 points for the Timberwolves (49-33), who have the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and will face the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.
Edwards initially faced a suspension for this game for a technical foul on Friday that would’ve given him an NBA -high 18 this season, but the league rescinded that penalty after a review. Edwards went 7 for 18 from deep to finish with an NBA-leading 320 made 3-pointers.
Brice Sensabaugh scored 22 points for the Jazz (17-65), who finished with the worst record in the NBA and the worst mark in franchise history by six games.
Takeaways
Jazz: Finishing last in the league for the best position in the draft lottery was made easier with 10 players held out. Washington’s buzzer-beating shot to win at Miami ensured Utah had the worst record to itself.
Timberwolves: Their 17-4 record since the start of March is the third-best in the NBA behind Boston and Oklahoma City. Despite some rocky stretches and inexplicable losses, this team is fully healthy and confident entering the postseason.
Key moment
The Timberwolves were trailing when Nickeil Alexander-Walker stole a pass in the backcourt to start a fast break. A drop pass to Gobert for a two-hand dunk gave the Timberwolves a 50-49 lead in the closing seconds of the first half.
Key stat
Edwards beat Detroit’s Malik Beasley, his former teammate, by one made 3-pointer. Beasley shot 41.6% and Edwards 39.5% for the season.
Up next
Utah will have a 14% chance of drawing the first pick in the draft when the lottery is held on May 12. Minnesota’s first playoff game will be in Los Angeles on Saturday or Sunday.