Short-handed Timberwolves make quick work of Bucks

Even without Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, the Minnesota Timberwolves dominated the host Milwaukee Bucks 139-106 on Tuesday behind 29 points from Julius Randle.Bones Hyland added 23 points fo

Short-handed Timberwolves make quick work of Bucks

Even without Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, the Minnesota Timberwolves dominated the host Milwaukee Bucks 139-106 on Tuesday behind 29 points from Julius Randle.

Bones Hyland added 23 points for Minnesota, who won its sixth game in seven tries. Naz Reid added 19 while Randle also grabbed eight rebounds and dished six assists.

Edwards sat out due to right foot injury maintenance. Gobert served a one-game suspension due to accumulating his sixth flagrant foul of the season in Minnesota’s last game.

Milwaukee, which was down Myles Turner (illness), fell in its return from a 2-2 road trip.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, and he grabbed eight rebounds. Bobby Portis, starting in place of Turner, added 14 points while Kevin Porter Jr. logged 13 points and eight assists.

The visitors grabbed hold of this one from the get-go, as Minnesota won the first quarter 38-20. McDaniels scored 14 points in the opening period, going 4 of 4 from 3-point range as Minnesota hit 8 of 13 from beyond the arc.

The 3-point shooting trend would continue throughout the night and the Timberwolves maintained their momentum through the second as they went into halftime up 76-45.

Randle had 24 points at the break while Antetokounmpo paced Milwaukee with 15.

The Bucks showed life in the third quarter and even cut the deficit down to 18 at one point, but Minnesota never let up beyond the arc and would not let the margin get any closer.

On the night, the Timberwolves shot 22-for-42 (52.4%) from 3-point range and 59.8% from the floor overall. They also forced 20 Milwaukee turnovers that resulted in 28 points.

Minnesota swept the two-game season series against its border rival for the first time since the 2021-22 season and is now even the all-time series against the Bucks at 36 wins apiece.