The Minnesota Timberwolves ran their winning streak to a season-best-tying five straight Tuesday night, riding 25 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and 21 from reserve Malik Beasley to a 134-114 shellacking of the host Sacramento Kings.
The action was the first for the Kings since they dealt star second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton and long-distance-shooting standout Buddy Hield to the Indiana Pacers in a six-player deal focused on Sacramento acquiring Domantas Sabonis.
None of the players acquired by the Kings, including Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday, were in uniform for Sacramento’s ninth loss in its last 11 games.
In the opener of a two-day, two-game sequence in Sacramento, the Timberwolves broke free from the Kings with a 15-4 burst early in the second period after the teams had played to a 35-35 tie through one quarter. Taurean Prince had eight of his 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the burst that gave Minnesota a 50-41 lead.
The Kings, who were coming off a 113-103 home win over Oklahoma City, never caught up. They trailed 73-67 at halftime, then by as many as 16 points in the third quarter before being unable to mount a serious challenge in the final 12 minutes.
Towns shot 10-for-14 and Beasley 7-for-11 for the Timberwolves, who won despite getting outscored 23-12 at the free throw line.
One of the big differences in the game came on the offensive boards, where Minnesota’s 16 helped it get up 21 more shots (104-83) than Sacramento.
Minnesota also dominated from beyond the 3-point arc, hitting 22 of 44, while Sacramento went just 9-for-25.
Jarred Vanderbilt had seven of the visitors’ 16 offensive boards en route to his game-high total of 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Beasley accounted for a majority of the 3-point disparity, going 7-for-8 to produce all 21 of his points.
Jordan McLaughlin chipped in with an 11-point, 11-assist double-double for Minnesota, while D’Angelo Russell added 14 points and Naz Reid 12.
Returning from an eight-game absence caused by a sore left ankle, De’Aaron Fox paced Sacramento with a game-high 29 points. He also found time for seven rebounds and a team-high six assists.
Harrison Barnes totaled 21 points for the Kings, while Damian Jones added 18, Chimezie Metu 14 and Jahmi’us Ramsey 10.