Wolves shake off slow start, use fourth-quarter surge to dispatch Bulls

Jaden McDaniels shot lights out, Rudy Gobert was an offensive force and Anthony Edwards was Anthony Edwards.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) drives to the basket against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center in Chicago on Nov. 7, 2024. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Julius Randle muscled his way into the paint for a layup to give the Timberwolves their first lead since the first quarter.

Anthony Edwards hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Minnesota up 113-106 with 5 minutes, 59 seconds to play. The Wolves were able to parlay that run into a 135-119 victory over the Chicago Bulls Thursday night at the United Center in Chicago, shaking off a rough defensive start in the process. Minnesota snapped a three-game losing skid to the Bulls.

In continuation of the fourth-quarter run, Rudy Gobert had an emphatic dunk, drew a foul and hit the free throw. Edwards had a driving layup in transition. And Jaden McDaniels, who has struggled in the season's early going, drilled a 3. After trailing by as many as 12 points early, the Wolves found themselves with an 11-point advantage in the waning minutes.

McDaniels shook off the rust that had plagued him through the season's first seven games. He drilled a 3 for the opening points of the game and finished with 19 points on 6-for-7 shooting, including a perfect 3 for 3 from 3-point range.

Gobert, meanwhile, continued making an impact offensively. Mike Conley found him for a lob, Gobert was active on the offensive glass, and after his emphatic dunk and free throw put them up nine, he made a layup and drew another foul later in the fourth, hitting the ensuing free throw to put the Wolves up 126-112. Gobert finished with 21 points and nine boards.

Edwards kept doing Edwards things. He hit five 3s, including the dagger that put the Wolves (5-3) up 131-114 with 1 minute, 48 seconds to play, and finished with 33 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Randle had 22 and 10.

The fourth quarter made a shaky start feel like a distant memory. The Bulls (3-6) got off to a hot start, hitting 6 of their 8 3-point attempts in the first quarter. They jumped ahead by as many as 12 and took a 65-56 lead into the halftime break.

Nikola Vucevic was a big reason why. The Wolves lost track of him, at times, at the 3-point arc, and he knocked down three shots from deep. Vucevic scored a team-high 25 points. Coby White hit four 3s and finished with 24 and eight assists.

But the Wolves were able to cut their deficit to five by the end of the third quarter. That kept whittling down in the fourth until Randle's go-ahead bucket and Edwards' pair of 3s. Minnesota was off and running from there in a convincing win.