By Field Level Media
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Anthony Edwards came up with a block in the closing seconds of overtime to help lift the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves to a stunning 131-128 overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.

The Timberwolves trailed by as much as 24 in the fourth quarter and by 16 with less than four minutes remaining. Minnesota, though, scored the final 16 points of the quarter, capped by Jaden McDaniels converting an and-one layup with 11.2 seconds remaining, to force overtime.

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Oklahoma City missed nine straight shots to close the fourth quarter, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missing a driving layup as time expired.

In overtime, after Naz Reid made two free throws to put the Timberwolves on top 129-128 with 22.1 seconds left, Oklahoma City put the ball in Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands coming out of a timeout.

Edwards came over from the help side to block Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot.

Terrence Shannon Jr. grabbed the rebound and Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Gilgeous-Alexander’s cousin – made a pair of free throws.

Edwards then matched up with Gilgeous-Alexander once more in the closing seconds, forcing a missed 3-pointer to end the game.

It was just the Timberwolves’ second victory in six games – both against Oklahoma City. The loss was just the second in 11 games for the Thunder.

McDaniels led Minnesota with 27 points, Reid added 22, and Alexander-Walker finished with 21 off the bench.

Edwards narrowly missed what would have been his first career triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.

Early in the fourth, it looked like Gilgeous-Alexander was headed toward a seventh game this season with 30 or more points in fewer than 30 minutes.

But not only did Minnesota close the gap to force Gilgeous-Alexander back in the game, they scored the final 16 points of regulation to force overtime after McDaniels’ three-point play with less than 12 seconds remaining.

Then Jaylen Clark, whose status for the game was in doubt earlier in the day after a hard fall the night before left him with neck soreness, stayed with Gilgeous-Alexander on his drive to the basket, forcing the miss and sending the game to overtime.

Oklahoma City was just 6-of-29 from the floor in the fourth as the Timberwolves outscored the Thunder 41-19 in the final period.

Minnesota was just 1-for-9 from the field in overtime but made all eight of its free throws.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 39 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Jalen Williams added 27 points for the Thunder.

Pistons top Clippers to match longest win streak since 2014-15

Cade Cunningham had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the host Detroit Pistons won their seventh straight by downing the Los Angeles Clippers, 106-97, on Monday night.

The Pistons matched their longest winning streak since the 2014-15 season.

Tobias Harris contributed 20 points, Jalen Duren powered for 12 points and 19 rebounds, and Ausar Thompson added 10 points with five steals.

James Harden led the Clippers with 18 points and 12 rebounds but also made seven turnovers. Derrick Jones Jr. supplied 15 points off the bench, while Ivica Zubac had 13 points, 15 rebounds and five assists.

Los Angeles was once again missing two of its starters, as leading scorer Norman Powell (left patellar tendinopathy) and superstar forward Kawhi Leonard (left foot soreness) sat out.

By halftime, Cunningham had 14 points and five assists, and the Pistons emerged with a 51-49 lead. Harris added 11 points during a half that saw neither side led by more than six points.

The Clippers opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run. Nicolas Batum provided the spark, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers before setting up a Bogdan Bogdanovic bucket.

The Pistons regained the advantage at 66-64 with 5:25 remaining in the quarter on a Harris jumper. Cunningham then scored on a layup and set up Duren for an alley-oop dunk before hitting two free throws to build a five-point Detroit lead.

After the Clippers pulled within a point, the Pistons closed out the quarter with a 10-1 run. Thompson got it started with a dunk. Harris supplied a dunk and a 3-pointer before Dennis Schroder finished off the third with a floater.

Cunningham’s basket with 9:13 left in the fourth gave Detroit an 87-76 lead. Los Angeles scored the next seven points, including a three-point play from Amir Coffey. The Pistons answered with field goals from Thompson and Cunningham.

Malik Beasley’s corner 3-pointer gave Detroit a 96-84 lead with 2:53 lead. Cunningham put the game away on a 3-pointer with 1:06 to play.

Jordan Poole guides Wizards to skid-ending win over Nets

Jordan Poole scored 26 points, Bilal Coulibaly added 20 points and the Washington Wizards snapped a six-game losing streak with a 107-99 win over the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

Washington closed the game on an 11-2 run and held Brooklyn without a field goal for the final 4:45. That stretch included a Nets scoring drought of more than four minutes.

The Wizards took the lead at 98-97 when Coulibaly attacked the rim for a layup with 3:12 remaining. After a Brooklyn turnover, Poole connected on a 3-pointer that gave Washington all the cushion it needed.

Poole and Coulibaly shot a combined 8-for-12 from beyond the arc, with Poole sinking 5 of 8.

Washington’s Kyshawn George and Richaun Holmes added 12 and 11 points, respectively, and both contributed to the team’s stifling defensive effort with three blocks each.

George also came away with three steals. The Wizards swiped seven steals as a team, part of the Nets’ 18 turnovers.

Brooklyn responded by forcing 24 Wizards turnovers, which the Nets converted into a 30-22 advantage for points off takeaways.

Brooklyn used its ability to generate takeaways to rally after trailing throughout the first half. The Nets opened the second half on a 22-7 run that spanned nearly eight minutes, grabbing an 81-74 lead.

The score was close through most of the fourth quarter. Washington leveraged its 50 percent shooting on the night, holding Brooklyn to 39.3 percent, to eventually pull away.

With the win, the Wizard bookended their skid with defeats of the Nets. Brooklyn came into the Monday contest having won seven of the past nine, including four of the past five.

Ziaire Williams’ 19 points led Brooklyn. Cameron Johnson added 17 points, and Tyrese Martin scored 15 points off the bench.

Nets reserve Trendon Watford chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds. Marcus Smart scored 10 points in reserve duty for Washington, while Justin Champagnie amassed six points and seven rebounds off the bench.

Trae Young, Hawks down off-target Heat

Trae Young posted his 34th double-double of the season and the Atlanta Hawks ended a three-game losing streak with a 98-86 win over the visiting Miami Heat on Monday night.

The Hawks have won the first two games in the four-game season series against Miami. The teams play each other again on Wednesday in Miami when the Heat begins a four-game homestand.

Young scored 11 points — one of six Atlanta players with double figures — and had 14 assists. Onyeka Okongwu had 17 points and eight rebounds, Caris LeVert and Terance Mann each scored 15, Georges Niang scored 11 and Dyson Daniels had 10 points, 11 rebounds and seven steals.

Miami’s Andrew Wiggins scored 23 for his third straight 20-point game. Bam Adebayo and Kyle Anderson both scored 14. Rookie Kel’el Ware matched his career high with 15 rebounds.

The Heat struggled from outside, making only 7 of 40 3-point tries (17.5 percent). Tyler Herro scored 11 points and was a team-worst 0-for-9 from beyond the arc.

The teams, playing the second half of a back-to-back, got off to sluggish starts. Atlanta led 50-42 at halftime, outscoring the Heat 14-7 over the last 3:13. Miami shot just 29.8 percent (14 of 47) in the first half and made only 3 of 23 3-point shots (13 percent).

The Hawks led by13 at 6:26 in the third quarter, but Miami had a 10-0 run that reduced the deficit to 66-63 at 2:51 on an alley-oop dunk by Ware. The Hawks responded with a 7-2 run and led 73-65 going into the fourth quarter.

The Heat cut the lead to 90-84 on a bucket by Adebayo with 3:52 left in regulation and appeared ready to get closer when Young was called for a foul with 3:25 on the clock. But the Hawks challenged the play and the call was reversed. Mann followed with a 3-pointer and the Heat never got closer than seven.

The Heat announced that sixth man Nikola Jovic would miss extended time with a right hand fracture he suffered on Sunday against Milwaukee.