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T'Wolves edge Nuggets behind 52 free throws

Mar 4, 2014 - 6:29 AM Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Martin finished with 22 points, including eight from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds to help the Minnesota Timberwolves hang on for a 132-128 triumph over the Denver Nuggets on Monday at Pepsi Center.

Kevin Love led the way with 33 points and 19 rebounds, while Corey Brewer, Nikola Pekovic and J.J. Barea each netted 16 points for the Timberwolves, who went 52-of-64 from the charity stripe as they wrapped up a five-game road trip at 4-1.

"That had to have been some kind of record," Love said of his team shooting 64 free throws. "That's a lot of free throws."

Ty Lawson, who had missed Denver's last nine games with a cracked rib, supplied 31 points and 11 assists. Wilson Chandler donated 25 points and 10 boards, while Randy Foye and Kenneth Faried finished with 22 and 21 points, respectively, for Denver, which has dropped six straight and 11 of its last 12 games.

Minnesota led 117-100 with 4:42 remaining before Faried poured in nine points during a 14-4 burst that Lawson capped with two free throws to bring the Nuggets within seven with 1:11 to play.

After Love and Foye exchanged buckets, Martin drained two free throws to make it 125-116 with 26.9 seconds left, but Lawson and Chandler drained back-to- back 3s around 1-of-2 at the line from Barea to bring Denver within 126-122.

The Nuggets knocked down a trey on each of their next two possessions, but Martin, who finished 16-of-17 from the line, made six straight from the stripe to seal the outcome.

"When you're playing uphill like that, it's tough to come back and actually get the win," Lawson said of his team playing from behind in the fourth quarter. "We got it down to two and they just made their free throws at the end."

Both teams shot just over 40 percent in the first half, but the difference came at the free throw line, where the Timberwolves went 26-of-32 while Denver went just 8-of-12 over the opening 24 minutes.

The free throw disparity allowed Minnesota to take a 66-49 lead into the second half, which Pekovic opened with five straight points for a 22-point lead.

The Timberwolves held Denver at bay throughout the third and carried a 98-83 advantage into the fourth before using an 8-3 swing early in the frame to push the spread to 20 points.

Game Notes

Minnesota's 52 made free throws marked an NBA season-high ... Denver went 1-8 during Lawson's absence ... The Nuggets haven't won since a road victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 20 ... Minnesota scored 23 second-chance points, compared to 13 from the Nuggets ... Denver had won 52 straight home games when scoring at least 110 points prior to the setback.