MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — LaMelo Ball scored a season-high 34 points to lead six players in double figures and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away early in the fourth quarter in a 112-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.
Ayo Dosunmu added 19 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, and Jaden McDaniels had 13 points for Minnesota, which finished with season lows in points and shooting percentage at 42.7%.
Each of Minnesota’s four previous victories
were by more than 20 points.
Tyler Herro led Milwaukee with 21 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 19 and AJ Green and Myles Turner each had 13. Brayden Burries, the 10th overall pick in this year’s NBA draft, made his first start for Milwaukee and finished with nine points on 4-for-15 shooting.
Milwaukee shot a season-worst 38.4% and lost for the sixth time in seven games to start the season. However, this was the first defeat in which the Bucks did not give up at least 127 points.
Six points by McDaniels started an 11-3 Timberwolves run to open the fourth quarter. It pushed Minnesota's lead to 91-79, its first double-digit lead since a 29-18 advantage after the opening quarter.
A 3-pointer by Ball — his sixth of the game — midway through the quarter put Minnesota in front 96-81.
Listed as questionable with a right wrist contusion, Ball scored 13 of Minnesota’s first 17 points. His 24 first-half points equaled his previous season high for a game, while his third 3-pointer made him the fastest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 3s, accomplishing the feat in 311 games.
Already without Anthony Edwards (knee surgery) for possibly a couple more months, Minnesota played without another guard, Terrence Shannon Jr. He missed the game with a left hip contusion.
Bucks: At Boston on Wednesday night.
Timberwolves: At Houston on Wednesday night.
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