All-Star point guard Darius Garland scored 27 of his NBA season-high 51 points — and made six of his career-best 10 3-pointers — in the fourth quarter for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night, but it wasn’t enough to bring them back after they trailed the Minnesota Timberwolves 99-75 late in the third.
D’Angelo Russell had season highs of 30 points and 12 assists, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 29 points, and the Timberwolves held off the short-handed Cavs 129-124.
Garland’s point total surpassed the previous season high set by Ja Morant, who had 49 points for the Memphis Grizzlies against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 21.
Garland, whose 51 points were also a career best, made two free throws with 8.3 seconds left to pull Cleveland within 126-124, but Russell made it 127-124 from the foul line. Kevin Love threw away the subsequent inbounds pass, and Taurean Prince made two free throws to lock up the win.
The Cavaliers, who lost their fourth in a row, played without injured All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen. Mitchell was sidelined with a sprained right ankle, while Allen sat out with a sore left ankle.
Russell made 11 of 13 shots, including 4 of 5 3-pointers, and Towns grabbed 13 rebounds for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Prince had 19 points off the bench, and Rudy Gobert added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Lamar Stevens had 15 points, Evan Mobley grabbed 13 rebounds and Love had 14 points for the Cavaliers. Cleveland lost at home for the first time in five games this season.
The Cavaliers had just 11 players in uniform, including two-way forwards Mamadi Diakite and Isaiah Mobley.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.