Takeaways: Timberwolves, with big games from Naz Reid and Julius Randle, hold off Wizards 120-109

The Timberwolves have taken care of every bad team they have faced this season, typically in easy fashion.

Wednesday night was a different experience, as the Wolves gave up almost all of a 27-point lead before ultimately getting the win over the Washington Wizards 120-109 at Target Center.

Some lackadaisical basketball in the third and early fourth quarters allowed Washington to cut the Wolves’ lead to five multiple times, including 109-104 with 3 minutes, 5 seconds remaining.

Anthony Edwards found Rudy Gobert for a bucket near the end of the shot clock before Julius Randle rebounded his own miss from the free-throw line for a layup to extend the lead to nine. Then Donte DiVincenzo provided the dagger with a corner three-pointer to put them up 10 with 1:29 left.

BOXSCORE: Wolves 120, Washington 109

NBA standings

The Wolves improved to 10-5 overall this season and 10-0 against teams under .500. The Wizards fell to 1-13.

Randle finished with 32 points, while Naz Reid had 28 off the bench.

This homestand has been good for Reid, who has had some strong scoring nights, especially the last three games.

He followed up a 22-point game Monday night against Dallas with 28 on Wednesday. He finished 11-for-21 from the field overall and 5-for-10 from three-point range.

When asked whether the team was happy with the victory, Reid replied, “Yes and no.”

“Not like that,” Reid said. “It’s still an NBA team. Obviously, I don’t want to just roll over them. But we still got to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We know better than to put ourselves in that situation.”

After he didn’t score until late in the second quarter Monday, Edwards came out with the mission to score early. He had 12 points in the first quarter, but he couldn’t resuscitate his slumping three-point shot (1-for-5 in the first quarter). He finished 4-for-9 in the quarter and had 14 points in the first half.

Then he went 1-for-7 overall and 0-for-3 from deep in the third quarter as the Wizards mounted their comeback. His attempt to find his shot helped facilitate Washington’s comeback. Edwards was 2-for-22 from three-point range in his last three games entering the night.

He declined to speak with the media after the win.

With Jaden McDaniels out because of a wrist injury, Bones Hyland re-entered the rotation and checked into the game with the Wolves up 38-29 with 9 minutes, 37 seconds left in the second quarter. On the floor with him were Rob Dillingham, Reid, Gobert and DiVincenzo. Over the next 3:39, that group extended the lead 21 with a 14-2 run.

Reid had 18 second-quarter points and finished the first half with 23. That total included 4-for-7 from three-point range.

The last time McDaniels missed a game was Dec. 8, 2023. He played in all 82 games a season ago and had played in 157 consecutive regular-season games before sitting out Wednesday’s game because of a left wrist sprain. Coach Chris Finch didn’t know how long McDaniels would be out but said the testing on the injury came back “pretty clean.”

“It’s impressive,” Finch said of McDaniels’ games played streak. “It’s almost taken for granted. It’s a credit to his professionalism, durability and his approach to the game.”