Timberwolves spoil LeBron James' 39th birthday, hold on to beat Lakers 108-106

Anthony Edwards scored 31 points, Naz Reid added 21 off the bench and the Minnesota Timberwolves held on to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 108-106 Saturday night on LeBron James' 39th birthday.

Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 13 rebounds as Minnesota overcame 19 turnovers to win for the fourth time in five games. Two of those wins have come against Los Angeles and the Timberwolves are now 14-1 at home this season.

Edwards scored 11 points in the fourth, hitting a pair of 3-pointers after the Lakers had closed within one each time. Mike Conley's 3-pointer with 35 seconds remaining gave Minnesota a 107-100 lead. Los Angeles had a closing push led by James, whose long jumper with 2.3 seconds left was ruled a 2-pointer and confirmed by replay, leaving the Wolves up 107-106.

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— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 31, 2023

Edwards hit one of two free throws and James' attempt at the buzzer was off the mark.

Anthony Davis had 33 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists for Los Angeles, which has lost seven of 10 since winning the In-Season Tournament. James, who was questionable for the game with a non-COVID-19 illness, added 26 points.

The Lakers scored 19 points off Minnesota turnovers, but shot just 42% from the field and were 7 of 24 from 3.

In the fourth game with their bigger starting lineup, the Lakers hounded Minnesota early with Davis the focal point on both ends. Los Angeles led by as many as 11 in the first quarter, while Davis had 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the first.

The Wolves’ shooting eventually brought them back with a spark off the bench from Reid. With Karl-Anthony Towns struggling, the third of Minnesota’s big men answered with a pair of 3-pointers before going to the basket for his points.

Reid finished 8 of 11 from the field.

UP NEXT

Lakers: Finish a back-to-back Sunday afternoon at New Orleans.

Timberwolves: Play at New York on New Year’s Day.