MINNEAPOLIS — For the second straight game, the Timberwolves allowed the Pistons to hang around through three quarters.
For the second straight game, the Wolves made sure they did enough to come away with a win, this time 118-105 at Target Center.
They survived a languid game from Anthony Edwards, who was 4 of 12 for 17 points thanks to another strong effort from Karl-Anthony Towns who had 24 points and 12 rebounds.
D'Angelo Russell returned from a four-game absence with a left shin contusion to score 22 while Malik Beasley had 20 off the bench. Saddiq Bey had 24 for Detroit as the Wolves won their fourth straight game.
The Wolves had a tough day on the injury front as Taurean Prince left the game because of a left ankle sprain and Naz Reid exited after landing awkwardly following a rebound in the fourth quarter. There was no immediate word on what Reid's injury was.
The Wolves came out sluggish, which can happen with an afternoon tipoff when players might otherwise be taking a nap. The only Wolves player to come out with focus on the offensive end was Towns, who had 10 points and five rebounds in the first quarter.
Towns had five field goals in the first quarter, the rest of the team had four. Edwards was especially quiet, going just 0-for-1 with two assists.
This lack of energy on both ends allowed Detroit to take a small early lead and hold it at 26-24 entering the second quarter.
That was when the Wolves made their first push of the night behind some hot outside shooting from Malik Beasley. Beasley nailed four threes late in the first and early in the second quarter. That enabled the Wolves to go on a 12-3 run to take a 41-34 lead, their largest lead of the first half. It would be a short-lived lead. Following a timeout, Detroit went on a 9-0 run as Edwards continued to be quiet in his 18 first-half minutes. He finished with three points and three assists.
Patrick Beverley provided an energy lift later in the second as his feud with Hamidou Diallo ended in Diallo getting a technical and Beverley getting a standing ovation from the crowd. Despite Beverley's 10 first-half points the Wolves still trailed 56-55 at the half.
Jarred Vanderbilt came up gimpy in the first quarter because of an apparent leg injury but he stayed in the game. Taurean Prince, who has been on fire of late, left the game after landing awkwardly in the first quarter. The team said he was out because of a left ankle sprain.
The third quarter started fine for the Wolves with them racing out to the first nine points of the quarter, but the starters rested on their laurels from there It didn't take long for Detroit to rattle off nine straight of its own to re-take the lead. Edwards woke up from his quiet start as the quarter went on and scored eight, but the Pistons had an answer every time the Wolves tried to put some distance on the scoreboard. They stayed within 83-79 entering the fourth quarter.
The Wolves finally started to build a lead in the fourth quarter thanks to an electric 25-second spurt from Jaden McDaniels. McDaniels hit a three, came back on defense with a monster block of Rodney McGruder before hitting a three on the next possession. That put the Wolves ahead 101-88. In continuing with the theme of the day, the Wolves didn't put Detroit away and instead allowed the Pistons to score the next six points.
But the Wolves pulled it together enough down the stretch to avoid the dubious distinction of losing to the Pistons at home.
