Trail Blazers 106-98 Timberwolves (November 13, 2024) Game Recap

PORTLAND, Ore. – Shaedon Sharpe scored 33 points, Donovan Clingan narrowly missed a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks on Wednesday and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 106-98 for the second straight year.

Anthony Edwards scored 24 points as Minnesota blew an early lead and lost its third straight game.

The teams entered the fourth quarter tied before Portland took control behind the defense of Clingan, who had four blocks in the period as Minnesota missed 10 of its first 11 shots early in the final frame.

Portland extended its lead to double digits for the first time on free throws from Sharpe, making it 89-78.

Takeaways

Wolves: Minnesota played without starting point guard Mike Conley. Conley played in the first two consecutive games of the season, but resting him Wednesday is part of a larger plan for the 37-year-old point guard. “We’re not a quiet team in general… But we’ve had the mindset this season to be a little more proactive with Mike,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said.

Trail Blazers: The Blazers were without starting point guard Anfernee Simons, who left Tuesday’s game with shortness of breath. “He just didn’t feel good today,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. Billups said he expects further testing and Simons doesn’t seem concerned. Portland was also without Robert Williams, who is out for two straight games.

Key moment

Shaedon Sharpe’s return slam dunk with 5:26 to play gave Portland a 91-83 lead and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.

Key statistics

Minnesota shot 7 for 39 (18%) from the 3-point line. The Wolves entered Wednesday ranked fourth in the NBA in three-point percentage.

Next

The Timberwolves are in Sacramento on Friday, while the Trail Blazers are off until Sunday’s game against Atlanta.

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AP NBA: