MINNEAPOLIS — It took a minor miracle for the Timberwolves just to get to overtime Friday against Brooklyn.
Naz Reid, who hadn't scored all night, came in off the bench late to hit the most important shot of regulation — a 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.
An exuberant Wolves team still had to go out and win in the extra session. But it was the Nets who rallied and hit some crucial buckets in the final 90 seconds of overtime for a 124-123 victory over the Wolves.
After 3s from Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith gave Brooklyn a 124-121 lead, the Wolves cut it to one on an Anthony Edwards (32 points) bucket with 31.6 seconds left. Cam Johnson missed a 3 to give the Wolves a shot for the win with 8.6 left. But a Mike Conley 3 hit nothing but air.
The Wolves clawed their way back from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the score on an Edwards 3 with 1 minute, 57 seconds remaining. It was their first 3 of the half.
But Royce O'Neale gave the Nets the lead back with a 3 on the next possession. The Wolves got a stop and a rebound with 11.1 seconds left with the score 112-111 to set up a shot for the lead, but an Edwards runner from the right side missed the rim. Bridges (34 points) hit two free throws for the Nets with 1.5 seconds remaining before Reid came off the bench for the tying 3. They didn't have enough to finish the job.
Rudy Gobert had one of his best offensive nights for the Wolves with 26 points. The Wolves held the lead for the whole first half and led by as much as 12, but could never create a ton of distance on the scoreboard despite shooting 57% in the half.
The Wolves offense came to a screeching halt in a rough third quarter that featured little of the ball movement that helped them in the first half. Brooklyn beat them for a 37-20 advantage in the third, and the Nets led 97-88 entering the fourth.
