NEW YORK — Karl-Anthony Towns thinks the real Derrick Rose is shining once again.
Rose scored 25 points, Towns had 21 points and nine rebounds, and the Timberwolves beat the Brooklyn Nets 112-102 on Friday.
Rose made 11 of 17 shots from the field, helping Minnesota get back on track after dropping two in a row. The 30-year-old guard won the 2011 NBA MVP award with the Chicago Bulls. He had been hampered by injuries in recent years before his strong start to this season.
“I love telling Derrick how good he is and how MVP Derrick (has) always been there and is still there,” Towns said.
Taj Gibson had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota, and Jeff Teague finished with 15 points in the Timberwolves’ first road win of the season.
“I trust every single person in the locker room to get the job done,” Towns said.
Brooklyn had six players score in double figures but shot 41.8 percent from the field. Joe Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie had 18 points apiece, and DeMarre Carroll finished with 13.
“We have to do a better job coming out and setting the tone,” Harris said. “We just kind of came out and they definitely hit us in the mouth first before we could really engage with them and set the tone early.”
The Nets pulled within four on Dinwiddie’s two free throws with 3 minutes left. But Rose made a floater, then Teague found Robert Covington for a dunk to help the Timberwolves close it out.
Minnesota swept the season series, also winning 120-113 on Nov. 12 at Target Center. The Timberwolves have won three in a row against the Nets dating to last season.
Jarrett Allen and Shabazz Napier each scored 12 points for Brooklyn, and Allen Crabbe finished with 11.
“We came into the game a little lackadaisical,” Allen said.
The Nets trailed by five at the break, but the Timberwolves grabbed control in the third. Towns had 17 points as Minnesota outscored Brooklyn 35-23 in the quarter for an 89-72 advantage heading to the fourth.
“I think we were searching for energy but we kind of just didn’t have the juice,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Towns hurt us in the post there in the third quarter. We tried different things, tried different guys on him, we tried fronting him. We just couldn’t get the stops we needed.”
Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau described the adjustment of the newest Timberwolves, Covington and Dario Saric, “a work in progress.” Covington scored seven points against the Nets, and Saric had three.
Covington and Saric were acquired Nov. 12 in the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers.