MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Edwards hit a 7-foot header with 25.7 seconds left and Rudy Gobert iced the game with two free throws to lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 119-116 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

Edwards scored 29 points, Gobert had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Julius Randle had 23 points and 7 assists for the Timberwolves, who recovered after the Nuggets’ 25-3 run in the fourth quarter.

Nikola Jokic played with 26 points, 13 assists and 9 rebounds and put Denver ahead 116-109 with two free throws with 2:30 left, while Minnesota took a step back. Jokic had a chance to tie the score at 119, but Gobert was forced to hit an errant corner 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left.

Gordon led the Nuggets with 31 points and 11 rebounds in the rematch of last season’s Western Conference semifinals.

Michael Porter Jr. is on the Nuggets, who placed point guard Jamal Murray in concussion protocol after colliding with Randle in the third quarter. He added 26 points.

takeaway

Nuggets: Taking some of the load off three-time NBA MVP Jokic will be key to keeping the window for title contention open, and Gordon and Porter have done their part. But the lack of depth is a concern. The bench was outscored 31-13.

Timberwolves: After leading the league in defense last season, they revealed some leaks, especially in transition. The Nuggets had 22 points on the fast break.

key moment

Braun dunked over the 7-foot-5 Gobert with 5:14 left and moved closer to his face with a taunting scream that prompted Gobert to grab Braun by the neck. The benches were emptied, shouts were exchanged and both players engaged in a technical match.

Key statistics

Gordon has the second-highest scoring record in four-plus seasons with the Nuggets. He shot 11-for-18.

next

The Nuggets will host Utah on Saturday. The Timberwolves are playing in San Antonio on the same day.