Takeaways: Anthony Edwards reaches 10,000 points as Timberwolves top Cavaliers 131-122 for fourth consecutive victory

The night got a little tighter than the Timberwolves wanted, but they still came away with a quality victory over an Eastern Conference opponent, 131-122 over the Cavaliers, on Thursday, Jan. 8, at Target Center. It marked their fourth consecutive victory.

After the Wolves led by as much as 20, Cleveland cut their lead to four with 2 minutes, 56 seconds to play, then again with 66 seconds left.

But the Wolves made enough buckets down the stretch to fend off the comeback.

The Wolves will want to bottle their masterful third quarter, which they won 43-22. They shot 16-for-23 from the floor, 7-for-9 from three-point range. It was ideal Wolves basketball, and it continued an upward trend for the team after a few wake-up call losses before the new year.

Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards were both on triple-double watch. Randle finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Edwards had 25 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.

Edwards, at 24 years and 156 days, became the third-youngest player in NBA history to hit 10,000 points for his career. He reached the mark with his first basket of the fourth quarter, a 13-footer with 6:54 left to put the Wolves ahead 116-103.

In doing so, he passed and joined some elite company: The only two to do it earlier than him were LeBron James (23 years, 59 days) and Kevin Durant (24 years, 33 days), Edwards’ favorite player growing up.

One of the emotions Edwards did feel hitting that mark at 24 years old was a bit of regret. He beat the late Kobe Bryant, who at 24 years, 194 days was previously the third youngest player to hit that mark.

“Yeah, I’m kind of sick that I got it from Kobe,” Edwards said. “I wish I would have waited like 100 days or something. But it’s all good.”

Coach Chris Finch flashed back to one of the games from Edwards’ rookie year, when Edwards scored over 40 points for the first time in a victory over Phoenix, as proof he was going to be a prolific scorer in the league.

“At that point in time you knew there was something inside him where he could get to that,” Finch said. “But what I’m most pleased of is he’s playing a great floor game. Really is. He’s just driving it when the drive is there, getting off of it in the crowd, trusting his teammates, executing the offense, running plays, making the next pass, and moving well off the ball, too.”

That took a little longer to sync in for Edwards. He said doing those things off the ball, making plays in other areas, really started to hit home two seasons ago when the Wolves went on their first of back-to-back runs to the Western Conference finals. That was when he started seeing heavy double teams for the first time, and he had to be smarter.

Now, the Wolves are better for it. Edwards has looked the best he has all season in this four-game win streak because he has done many other things besides scoring. It’s no coincidence they have started winning again as a result.

He also crossed 10,000 points on a midrange bucket, something he has worked to make an important part of his repertoire.

“Each year he gets better and he adds something to his game,” Jaden McDaniels said. “I remember he was always telling me he wanted to shoot midrange, now he doesn’t miss midrange anymore. It’s just the work he puts in. He be in the gym day and night. That’s what happens when you work as hard as he does.”

Maybe the Wolves should campaign for a move to the Eastern Conference. The four-game win streak has come against four teams from the East, with another game on tap against the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Saturday, Jan. 10.

Two players the Wolves have wanted to get going offensively, McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo, had productive nights. McDaniels had 26 points, including a runner to put the Wolves back up six with under a minute to play, and DiVincenzo had 22 on six threes.

BOXSCORE: Wolves 131, Cleveland 122

NBA standings

The night started out fine for the Wolves, with a 17-5 lead and a standing ovation from the Target Center crowd, but Cleveland controlled the rest of the half as turnovers and fouls mounted for the Wolves through the first half. They had nine in the first half as Cleveland opened up a nine-point lead in the second quarter. Each starter had either 11 or 12 points for the Wolves in the first half, as they trailed 67-63.

But the Wolves started the second half the way they started the first — then continued to pour it on. They won the third quarter 43-22 with good ball movement and a commendable job cleaning up their pick and roll coverage on the defensive end. But behind 30 from Donovan Mitchell and 22 from Sam Merrill, Cleveland came back in the fourth, but Edwards and McDaniels hit enough shots down the stretch to get the win.