Hornets win fourth straight behind 35 points from LaMelo Ball, beating Timberwolves 122-108

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — LaMelo Ball scored 35 points and Miles Bridges added 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the surging Charlotte Hornets in a 122-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

Coby White scored 17 points for the Hornets (43-36), who shot 48.9 percent from the floor (45 of 92) en route to their fourth straight win. They are a half-game out of sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Announcement

Ball was 7-of-14 from deep, his league-leading eighth game this season with at least seven 3-pointers. This was also Ball’s 20th game with more than five 3s.

Charlotte, which is 9-2 since mid-March and 39-22 since Thanksgiving, hasn’t made the playoffs in 10 years. At this rate, the Hornets might even be able to skip the play-in games and secure a first-round spot.

The Timberwolves (46-32) have yet to do so, having lost four of five games since ace defenseman and third-leading scorer Jaden McDaniels was sidelined with a left knee injury. They also played without star Anthony Edwards for the eighth time in the last 10 games because of lingering soreness in his right knee.

Coach Chris Finch said before the game he didn’t believe “there are any major concerns about anything long-term,” but Edwards’ status remains uncertain.

Announcement

Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 26 points and Bones Hyland provided their biggest boost off the bench with 18 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Minnesota is in sixth place in the Western Conference, three games ahead of Phoenix (43-35) above the play-in mark with four games to play.

Hyland hit a 3-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer that gave the Timberwolves a 60-55 lead, but Bridges and the Hornets exploded in the third quarter and led by 10 at the end of that period.

Next

Hornets: Visit Boston on Tuesday.

Timberwolves: Visit Indiana on Tuesday.

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