TORONTO — With the trade deadline looming, and with the organization in the mix still to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Minnesota Timberwolves team that took the floor against the Toronto Raptors looked like their minds were on everything except basketball.

Then the Wolves woke up in the fourth quarter of a 128-126 victory, their first over the Raptors in Toronto since 2004.

Anthony Edwards turned it up in the fourth quarter at both ends of the floor with 30 points to lead the Wolves, and had three steals in the fourth quarter.

Bones Hyland had a strong game off the bench with 20 points, while Jaden McDaniels added 19.

The Wolves won despite allowing Toronto to shoot 53%, 48% from 3-point range and despite shooting 14 for 25 (56%) from the free-throw line.

Brandon Ingram led Toronto with 25 points.

How it happened

The Wolves (32-20) looked disinterested in defense most of the night. Within five minutes of the game starting, the Raptors (30-22) had 20 points. They had 72 at halftime and 104 through three quarters before the Wolves decided to make a game of it with a 12-4 run to open the fourth.

They were within 1117-116 when Edwards drove to the bucket for a 118-117 lead. After a Scottie Barnes dunk for Toronto, Edwards got a steal and dunk to put the Wolves back ahead by one. Then Rudy Gobert got a steal and hit one of two at the line.

Edwards then hit a midrange fadeaway for a 123-119 Wolves lead.

The Wolves allowed more than 30 points in every quarter but the fourth, when they allowed 22.

Hyland has hot night

Without Mike Conley around to take minutes, Hyland is now the primary point guard, and Hyland played like he had nothing to lose in scoring 20 points and getting seven rebounds. He had 13 points and six rebounds in the first half.

Wolves coach Chris Finch has said frequently over the last month that the key for Hyland was to be aggressive, and he was that against Toronto.

Juzang gets minutes

Conley’s exit meant forward Johnny Juzang got some run in the third quarter off the bench. Finch had mentioned that Conley’s minutes wouldn’t necessarily all go to Hyland, and that others on the bench could see time.

Juzang benefited from that against Toronto, while rookie center Joan Beringer wasn’t in the rotation. Juzang played two minutes toward the end of the third and didn’t score.

Deadline mindset

Before the game Finch discussed how hard it can be on players to play during the trade deadline, specifically during a time of higher than normal roster uncertainty, like what the Wolves were facing in their attempt to trade for Antetokounmpo.

“Some of them [rumors], you just can’t get away from them,” Finch said. “You have to have a lot of empathy, really, with the players. You can’t change anything.

“[Wolves President Tim Connelly] and his crew do a really good job of communicating, being transparent, being there, answering questions, continually talking to the guys, just letting them know as things might change, or what’s real what’s not. I think there’s a lot of that.

“... Players appreciate that, but it doesn’t change the reality of what might happen at any minute.”

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