By Field Level Media via Reuters
Malik Beasley scored 33 points by making a franchise-record 11 3-pointers and the Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a 132-102 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday in Minneapolis.
Beasley drew a standing ovation as he left the court in the fourth quarter for Minnesota, which won its sixth game in a row. The Timberwolves are on their first six-game winning streak since 2004.
Karl-Anthony Towns registered 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Taurean Prince scored 17 points off the bench, and Anthony Edwards contributed 16.
Edwards owned the Timberwolves’ previous record for 3-pointers in a single game with 10, a mark he set Dec. 15 against the Denver Nuggets.
Beasley sank 11 of his 17 field-goal attempts — all of them from beyond the arc.
Aaron Wiggins led the Thunder with 25 points on 9-for-19 shooting, including 5-for-8 success from long distance, and he grabbed nine rebounds. Isaiah Roby finished with 15 points and Darius Bazley scored 14 for Oklahoma City, which lost its fourth game in a row.
The Timberwolves surged to a 74-47 lead at the half and never looked back.
Oklahoma City led 21-19 before Minnesota closed the first quarter on a 13-0 run to take command. Jordan McLaughlin kicked off the run with a 3-pointer, and Beasley finished the quarter with nine straight points on a trio of shots from beyond the arc.
With 1:07 left in the second quarter, the Timberwolves stretched their lead to 25 points on a layup by Jaylen Nowell. Jaden McDaniels added a dunk in the closing seconds of the half for Minnesota.
Oklahoma City outscored Minnesota 32-27 in the third quarter, but by then it was too late. Bazley notched five consecutive points for the Thunder during the third quarter with a 3-pointer and a dunk.
Beasley made his record-setting 3-pointer with 5:06 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Patrick Beverley (right ankle soreness) and Jarred Vanderbilt (left quad contusion) did not play for the Timberwolves.
