Edwards scores 44, while Randle, DiVincenzo shine in Wolves' win over Suns

When Anthony Edwards wasn't in takeover mode, 3-pointers were raining off the hands of Donte DiVincenzo.

Edwards exploded for 17 points and DiVincenzo hit a trio of 3s during a lopsided third quarter, and the Wolves carried that momentum the rest of the way in a 116-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns Sunday night at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.

The brilliant third quarter from Edwards was the peak of a game in which he posted a game-high 44 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Edwards and DiVincenzo, who had his best game since returning from a turf toe injury with 24 points, six steals, two rebounds and two assists, helped the Wolves (33-29) overcome a cold-shooting start that had them trailing early. DiVincenzo was the first player to make seven or more 3s and record five or more steals off the bench.

Minnesota couldn't buy a bucket early, and a hot start from Devin Booker, who finished with 17 points, helped the Suns (28-33) take control early. Aside from the first basket of the game, Phoenix led the entire first half, and the Wolves didn't take another lead until midway through the third quarter. That was thanks to Edwards being a truly unstoppable force.

The Wolves outscored the Suns 34-21 in the third quarter to take an 11-point lead into the final frame. Phoenix cut its deficit to as few as 10 points, but never got within single digits. Among the highlights of the fourth was Nickeil Alexander-Walker finding Julius Randle, who was in his first game back after an extended absence for a groin injury, under the hoop for an emphatic dunk from Randle. Jaden McDaniels stole the next inbounds pass and made a layup for a 17-point lead.

Despite having not played in a month, Randle didn't look like he missed a beat Saturday night. He scored 11 points in an otherwise lackluster first quarter for the Wolves and finished with 20 points, six rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes.

Kevin Durant scored a team-high 26 points for the Suns. Bradley Beal added 18.

Naz Reid appeared to get banged up a couple times, subbing off in the first quarter after battling a bit of a limp, but he returned and finished the game. Reid was ice cold from the field, shooting just 3 for 15 and scoring seven points. With both Randle and DiVincenzo back in the lineup, Wolves coach Chris Finch went with a nine-man rotation, featuring the starting group of Mike Conley, Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Randle and Reid with Alexander-Walker, DiVincenzo, Jaylen Clark and Terrence Shannon Jr. getting minutes off the bench. Clark played 11 minutes, while Shannon got seven.

The Suns are certainly struggling, but the Wolves looked like a much different group with Randle and DiVincenzo back in the lineup. They showed they have enough firepower to gear up for a run down the stretch of the season, and their schedule is advantageous. There's no reason Minnesota can't find itself in the mix for a higher seed in the West.

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