Detroit Pistons top Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA despite Anthony Edwards’ 53 points

DETROIT – Anthony Edwards was the Minnesota Timberwolves’ biggest weapon, but the Detroit Pistons still found a way to overcome that threat and claim victory in the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Jan 4.

Cade Cunningham scored 40 points to lead the home side, who withstood a career-high 53 points from Edwards to beat the Timberwolves 119-105.

Edwards, who had voiced frustration after averaging just 16.3 points over the last three games in the face of strong double-team defence, found plenty of ways to score.

He connected on 16 of his 31 shots from the field, including 10 of 15 from three-point range, and made 11 of his 12 free-throw attempts.

But he had little scoring support and the Timberwolves trailed virtually all the way against a Pistons team powered by Cunningham, who notched his season high in points and added six rebounds and nine assists.

Unlike Edwards, Cunningham had plenty of backup.

Malik Beasley added 23 points off the bench for the Pistons, Tobias Harris scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Ausar Thompson finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and six steals.

“The effort from the beginning of the game to the end I thought was phenomenal,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of the team performance.

“We talked about it pre-game, about not having to have a half-time rile-up to get going. We were able to build leads while he (Edwards) was making shots... we tried to be aggressive with him and obviously you don’t aim to give up 50 (points) to anybody, so you just have to manage the game.”

Beasley said the victory was the most important thing, despite allowing Edwards to score 53.

“At the end of the day we won,” he said. “He can have 100 points for all I care, we got a ‘W’.”

Elsewhere in Brooklyn, Joel Embiid scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to power the Philadelphia 76ers in a 123-94 victory over the short-handed Nets.

The Cameroon-born big man had been listed as questionable to play with a left foot sprain but scored 15 of the Sixers’ 29 first-quarter points in a dominant display.

“He loves to compete,” teammate Paul George said of Embiid.

“It’s fun. He’s the best player out there and he’s having that competitive edge and those competitive juices flowing. It runs through the team.”

Tyrese Maxey added 18 points while George and Caleb Martin scored 17 apiece for Philadelphia, who led by 64-47 at half-time. Ziaire Williams scored 19 points to lead the Nets, who were without the injured Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson and Ben Simmons.

The Portland Trail Blazers, led by Anfernee Simons’ 28 points, snatched a 105-102 win over the Bucks in Milwaukee.

Simons came through in the clutch, converting a three-point play with 23.5 seconds left to put the Trail Blazers up by one. After Damian Lillard turned the ball over, he made a pair of free throws with 5.4sec to play to seal the win.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 31 points and 11 rebounds. Lillard scored 16 but missed a potential game-tying three-pointer in the final second.

“Very disappointing,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said of the loss.

“It’s frustrating watching us play, we are not playing right on both ends.

“Defensively, we get beaten off the glass... offensively I don’t see us playing with much pace, we are not getting in the paint much.”

In another game, Nikola Jokic scored 46 points that included the first seven in overtime, as the visiting Denver Nuggets claimed a 122-111 win over the San Antonio Spurs in the second of back-to-back games between the teams.

The Serb spoilt Victor Wembanyama’s 21st birthday, despite the young French star scoring 20 points and grabbing 23 rebounds with three assists and four blocked shots.

The Spurs won the opener 113-110 in Denver on Jan 3.

Overall, the Nuggets have won four of their past five games on their own schedule but had to work an extra five minutes to get it done in their latest clash. AFP, REUTERS