Oklahoma City Thunder edged past hosts Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. The 113-104 win saw the contribution of All-Star Chris Paul who amassed his sixth double-double of the season.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 37 points for the Timberwolves, was the game's leading scorer. Paul, a nine-time All-Star, pocketed 13 of his 25 points in his third-quarter run and made 10 assists, powering the Thunders to their fifth straight win on the road and overall.
From trailing by seven points to leading
Despite missing Danilo Gallinari (sore left thumb) and getting only limited minutes from Steven Adams (sprained left ankle), the Thunder overcame an early seven-point deficit to lead by four at halftime before taking command in the third period.
Luguentz Dort had two 3-pointers, while Darius Bazley and Mike Muscala chipped in with one apiece during the 39-24 burst, which included technical fouls on Timberwolves forward Robert Covington and coach Ryan Saunders. Down 91-72 at quarter's end, the Timberwolves, who lost their ninth straight, got as close as 109-104 with 1:07 to play before Paul iced the Oklahoma City win with a short jumper.
Six Thunders made double figures
Six teammates joined Paul in double figures for the Thunder, with Dennis Schroder scoring a team-high 26, Bazley 15, Muscala and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 11 apiece, and Dort and Hamidou Diallo 10 each. Diallo also had a team-high 10 rebounds, completing a double-double. Dort's 10 points were a season-high, while Bazley's 15 missed his season-high by two.
Schroder, Muscala and Diallo did their scoring off the bench, helping the Thunder build a whopping 52-20 advantage in points from reserves. Towns' 37 points came on 13-for-23 shooting for the Timberwolves, who fell to 0-3 against the Thunder this season.
Andrew Wiggins backed Towns with 22 points, while Keita Bates-Diop had 11, Covington 10 and Shabazz Napier 10 as part of his first career triple-double with 10 rebounds and a game-high 13 assists. Napier's 10 rebounds and 13 assists were both career highs. The Thunder outshot the Timberwolves 48.8 percent to 44.4 percent.
(With inputs from agencies)
