Timberwolves blow out Clippers 127-101 behind Ball’s 24 points for 1st win without Edwards

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — LaMelo Ball had a season-high 24 points and Jaden McDaniels scored 23 as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Clippers 127-101 on Friday night in NBA Cup group play for their first win without star Anthony Edwards.

Bones Hyland added 19 points and eight assists off the bench for the Timberwolves (4-2), who offered a glimpse of how they can still thrive while Edwards recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery.

After a 127-125 overtime loss at Cleveland on Monday, a fresh exam for Edwards indicated the need for the procedure after the wear-and-tear injury limited him to a career-low 61 regular-season games in 2025-26. The Timberwolves were out of sorts for most of a 119-114 loss to Golden State on Wednesday, before regrouping behind their new star Ball and the two-way excellence of McDaniels.

Ball made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Timberwolves used a 20-2 surge to run...