Timberwolves Edwards 55 Points In Narrow Loss To Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets all claimed narrow wins, highlighted by standout scoring nights and late drama, while the Oklahoma City Thunder lost both on the scoreboard and with an injury to All-Star Jalen Williams during a tense evening of NBA action.

San Antonio improved to 29-13 after edging the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-123, surviving a 55-point explosion from Anthony Edwards and a late Donte DiVincenzo three-pointer, while the result also widened the Spurs lead in the Southwest Division to 3 games over the Houston Rockets.

The Spurs trailed 31-30 after the first quarter, then completely flipped the contest with a 48-22 second-period surge that built a sizeable half-time cushion, before withstanding Minnesota’s response in a tense finish between two of the Western Conference’s better records.

Minnesota, now 27-16, mounted a furious rally in the second half and briefly moved in front 119-118 when Donte DiVincenzo hit from deep with 1:03 remaining, but the Spurs answered with the next five points and managed to hold on, handing the Timberwolves a second straight defeat.

Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 39 points and nine rebounds, while Edwards delivered a career performance by shooting 19 of 33 overall and 9 of 16 from three-point distance, surpassing the 53 points scored last January against the Detroit Pistons.

Denver also moved to 29-13 after a 121-115 victory over the Washington Wizards, with the Nuggets extending their winning run to four games and continuing to handle the absence of three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, who remains sidelined by a hyperextended left knee.

The game in Denver was tied 110-110 with 2:33 left before Jamal Murray seized control, scoring the next seven points to create separation, finishing with 42 points, while Tim Hardaway Jr. added a season-high 30 as the Nuggets collected a seventh win in ten outings without Jokic.

Washington dropped to 10-31 and suffered a sixth straight loss despite an all-around performance from Kyshawn George, who produced 29 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three blocks in another difficult night for a team rooted near the bottom of the standings.

Spurs, Thunder and Nuggets results and key numbers

Oklahoma City’s 122-120 home defeat to Miami ended a five-game winning streak and also raised concern, as Jalen Williams, who returned in late November after wrist surgery, exited during the second quarter with thigh soreness after logging only 14 minutes.

Williams, a first-time All-Star during the 2024-25 season, has averaged 16.8 points, 5.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds across 24 appearances since coming back from injury, and Oklahoma City, now 35-8, will await clarity on the severity of the latest setback.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning league MVP and NBA Finals MVP, kept the Thunder competitive with 39 points, but Miami, now 22-20, overturned a late one-point deficit when Andrew Wiggins hit a decisive three-pointer with 31 seconds on the clock.

Bam Adebayo powered the Heat with 30 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and a career-best six three-pointers, lifting Miami to within 1 games of the Southeast Division-leading Orlando Magic and underlining how narrow margins are shaping both conference and divisional races.

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The night’s results left the Spurs and Nuggets strengthening their positions near the Western Conference summit, while the Timberwolves and Thunder absorbed setbacks of different kinds, and the Heat trimmed the gap in the Southeast race, with injuries and late-game execution emerging as key themes.