Timberwolves dominate Pelicans 134-93 in Minneapolis

Julius Randle scored 20 points, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 134-93 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. This win prevents the Timberwolves from losing to one of the weaker teams in the Western Conference for the second time in three days. Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards each contributed 17 points. Rudy Gobert added 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. With this win, Minnesota is now just one game behind Golden State for the sixth seed in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves enjoyed their biggest victory margin of the season, winning by 41 points. Edwards had a minor injury scare in the third quarter, leaving the game briefly with a thigh issue but returned to play. Joe Ingles made his first start since January 2022, scoring zero points but getting one assist in just over six minutes. His son, who has autism, got to see him play live for the first time. C.J. McCollum led the Pelicans with 15 points, and Bruce Brown added 14. The Pelicans are struggling, holding the second-worst record in the Western Conference and without star player Zion Williamson, who is sidelined with a back injury. The Timberwolves started strong and outscored New Orleans 72-45 in the second half. A pivotal moment came when McDaniels dunked over a Pelican defender, pushing the lead to 80-59 in the third quarter. Minnesota dominated on the rebounds, scoring 20 second-chance points compared to New Orleans' 4. Next, the Pelicans will play in Detroit on Sunday, while the Timberwolves will face Indiana on Monday.