Timberwolves come back to finish off Pelicans with seconds left

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Nov 18, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) fights for position against Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first half at the Smoothie King Center.
Nov 18, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) fights for position against Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first half at the Smoothie King Center.
Image: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 29 points, including a game-winning field goal with five seconds left, and the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 121-120 on Saturday night.

Anthony Edwards added 23 points, Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Jaden McDaniels scored 12 and Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 10 for the Wolves.

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Brandon Ingram scored 30, Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points and 11 rebounds, Jordan Hawkins scored 15, Herbert Jones Jr. and Dyson Daniels scored 13 each and Matt Ryan added 10 to lead the Pelicans. Zion Williamson was given the night off as the Pelicans completed a back-to-back amid a stretch of four games in six days.

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Ryan's 3-pointer gave New Orleans a 108-94 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Towns scored seven points during a 17-4 run that got Minnesota within one point, but Valanciunas answered with a three-point play.

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Edwards and Towns made consecutive 3-pointers to give the Wolves a 119-117 lead before Ingram tied the score with a jumper with 1:03 left.

Ingram made one of two to give the Pelicans a one-point lead with 10 seconds left.

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Towns' short jumper put Minnesota back on top with five seconds left and Ingram missed a jumper in the final second.

The Pelicans led by five points at halftime, but Towns scored five quick points and McDaniels hit a 3-pointer to give the Wolves a 69-68 lead.

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Hawkins made a 3-pointer and Ingram added five straight points as New Orleans increased the lead to 85-74.

Minnesota got within eight points twice before the Pelicans took a 95-85 lead at the end of the third quarter.

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The Pelicans built a nine-point lead twice before holding a 35-27 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Jones and Daniels each made a 3-pointer as New Orleans extended the lead to 43-28.

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Edwards made consecutive 3-pointers to start a Wolves' push that got them within five points.

The Pelicans extended the lead to nine points before Minnesota trimmed it to 64-59 at halftime.

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—Field Level Media