Minnesota Timberwolves @ New Orleans Pelicans
Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 8:00 PM ET
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA | Game ID: 22400505
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
NOP 33 21 21 22 97MIN 34 20 29 21 104
ESPN UpdateESPN Update
Anthony Edwards scores 32 and the Timberwolves top the Pelicans 104-97 in Zion Williamson's return
NEW ORLEANS -- — Anthony Edwards highlighted a 32-point performance with seven 3-pointers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the New Orleans Pelicans 104-97 on Tuesday night to take some luster off of Zion Williamson 's return from a 27-game absence.
Williamson, who'd been sidelined by a left hamstring strain, had 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block in 27 minutes in his seventh game this season.
Former Pelican Julius Randle scored 16 points and ex-LSU star Naz Reid had 13 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota, which led most of the game and by as many as 13 points. Rudy Gobert had 14 rebounds and six blocks.
Edwards hit four early 3s and had 14 points less than seven minutes in. He surpassed the 30-point mark for the ninth time this season.
Dejounte Murray scored 27 points for New Orleans, but CJ McCollum , who scored 50 points just two games earlier, shot 1 of 14 as the Pelicans lost for the 21st time in 24 games.
Takeaways Timberwolves: Donte DiVincenzo started at point guard for a second straight night in place of Mike Conley , who was a reserve for just the second time in his 132 games with the Timberwolves. DiVincenzo scored 10 points and Conley eight.
Pelicans: Williamson and Murray worked well together in the first Pelicans game this season with both in the lineup. Twice, a Murray steal resulted in a Williamson breakaway dunk -- one of them a 360-degree, double-clutch, roundhouse jam. They just needed more help against the Wolves.
Key moment Edwards hit a free throw and a pair of 3s during a 19-2, third-quarter run that helped Minnesota turn a 64-57 deficit into a 75-66 lead in less than four minutes. Minnesota did not trail again.
Key stat Edwards shot 63.6% from 3-point range.
Up next The Timberwolves visit Orlando on Thursday. The Pelicans host Portland on Wednesday.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
MINAE A. Edwards
DD D. DiVincenzo
JM J. McDaniels
JM J. Minott
JR J. Randle
MC M. Conley
NA N. Alexander-Walker
NR N. Reid
RG R. Gobert
NOPBB B. Boston
CM C. McCollum
DM D. Murray
DT D. Theis
HJ H. Jones
JA J. Alvarado
JH J. Hawkins
JR J. Robinson-Earl
YM Y. Missi
ZW Z. Williamson
MIN/NOP the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur