LaMelo Ball scores season-high 34 as short-handed Timberwolves beat Bucks 112-100

LaMelo Ball came into Monday night listed as questionable with a right wrist contusion. He scored a season-high 34 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Milwaukee Bucks 112-100 at Target Center. The win lifted Minnesota to 5-3, and it is now 2-2 since Anthony Edwards went out after knee surgery, according to the Star Tribune.

Ball carried the offense early. He scored 13 of Minnesota's first 17 points and had 24 by halftime, which matched his previous best for a full game this season, ESPN's Associated Press recap reported. His third 3-pointer of the night was the 1,000th of his career. He got there in 311 games, the fastest anyone in NBA history has reached that mark. NBC Sports had him shooting 12 of 21 from the field and 6 of 13 from deep, with six rebounds and three assists.

The rest of the team took a while to catch up. Minnesota led 29-18 after one quarter and then went more than two full quarters without a double-digit lead. The Wolves shot 42.7 percent, their worst mark of the season. Jaden McDaniels scored six points in an 11-3 run to open the fourth that made it 91-79. Ball's sixth 3-pointer pushed the lead to 96-81 midway through the period. Ayo Dosunmu finished with 19 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, and six Wolves scored in double figures.

The guard rotation was thin. CBS Sports, citing The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, reported before tipoff that Terrence Shannon Jr. would miss his first game of the season with a left hip contusion. Heavy noted that Donte DiVincenzo was also ruled out with a right Achilles issue. Edwards could be out for a couple more months, per the AP.

Milwaukee fell to 1-6. Tyler Herro led the Bucks with 21 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 19. The Bucks shot 38.4 percent, their lowest of the season. Brayden Burries, the 10th pick in this year's draft, made his first start and went 4 of 15 for nine points.

What it means for Houston

The Wolves play at the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Their record looks more uneven than their scoring margin. Before Monday, all four Minnesota wins had come by at least 22 points. Over eight games the team is outscoring opponents by about 11 points a night, 119.0 to 107.6. The losses have been close or recent: by two at Cleveland, by five to Golden State and by 10 at San Antonio last week. Minnesota is 3-1 at home and 2-2 on the road. Both road wins came in Florida during the opening week, before Edwards got hurt.

With Edwards out, the Wolves have alternated wins and losses. Ball's wrist and Shannon's hip are the two things to watch before Wednesday. Shannon's first chance to return is in Houston, according to CBS Sports. If he can't play, Minnesota will again lean heavily on Ball, Dosunmu and McDaniels on the second night of a quick turnaround. A win would give Minnesota its first winning streak since Edwards went out. A loss would drop the Wolves to .500 on the road.