Anthony Edwards hits game-winner as Wolves mount massive comeback to beat Rockets

Minnesota overcame a 16-point deficit as Edwards' 3 lifted the team to a victory Friday night in Houston.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) controls the ball as Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center in Houston on Dec. 27, 2024. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Anthony Edwards scored just seven points in the second half, but three of them were the biggest points of the game.

Edwards hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from the left elbow with 23 seconds remaining, Fred VanVleet missed a 3 on the other end, and fittingly, Edwards grabbed the final rebound to put a cap on a 113-112 victory over the Houston Rockets Friday night at the Toyota Center in Houston. Making it more impressive is the Wolves trailed by 10 with three minutes to go.

It was Minnesota's largest fourth-quarter comeback since 2003 after trailing by as many as 16 points in the frame.

The late-game resurgence started with a 3 from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who was questionable coming into the game due to illness, that cut the deficit to 110-103 with 2 minutes, 36 seconds remaining. Naz Reid cleaned up his own miss to make it a five-point game. Edwards got to the rim for a layup. Julius Randle threw down a dunk to cut the deficit to one.

Alpereen Sengun, who the Wolves (16-14) had no answer for throughout the night as he finished with a game-high 38 points and 12 rebounds, was fouled twice during the final minute and split both pairs from the free-throw line. He made 1 of 2 from the line with 41.2 seconds remaining to put the Rockets (21-10) up 112-110. Then came Edwards' game-winner.

Edwards finished with 24 points, 13 of which he scored in the first quarter, five rebounds and three assists. Randle scored a team-high 27 points to go along with eight rebounds and eight assists. Donte DiVincenzo was stellar off the bench with 22 points, including six made 3-pointers, four rebounds and four assists. Reid had 14 points before fouling out late.

Before mounting the fourth-quarter run, the Wolves were appearing to head toward another disappointing loss. It looked like once again they wouldn't be able to string together a complete game. They started strong, taking a 57-52 lead into the halftime break, but it all went downhill in the third quarter. Edwards scored just a point during the frame. The Wolves scored just 19 as a team and shots weren't falling. The Rockets, meanwhile, exploded for 32 to take an eight-point lead.

Then the deficit grew to 16.

Until the fourth-quarter takeover began for the Timberwolves, who snapped Houston's four-game win streak with a comeback for the ages. Perhaps it's just what the Wolves needed. The type of finish that can spark a team going forward.