Dosunmu scores 21 and Kuminga sparks late surge in Timberwolves’ 117-107 win over Rockets

HOUSTON (AP) — Ayo Dosunmu had 21 points and Jonathan Kuminga powered a fourth-quarter run that allowed the Minnesota Timberwolves to pull away for a 117-107 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Minnesota led by two before a 3-pointer from Kuminga, a steal by Dosunmu and a tip-in by Kuminga made it 111-104 with about two minutes remaining.

Kevin Durant made two free throws for Houston before another 3 by Kuminga extended the lead to 114-106 with less than a minute to go.

LaMelo Ball scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for Minnesota after finishing with a season-high 34 in his previous game.

Alperen Sengun had his 13th career triple-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Rockets as they lost for just the second time this season. Durant added 21 points and Fred VanVleet had 18.

Kuminga finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Jaden McDaniels had 14 points and eight boards for the Timberwolves.

The Rockets led by two midway through the fourth quarter before Ball scored seven points during a 10-2 run that gave the Timberwolves a 104-98 lead with about five minutes to play.

Sengun made one of two free throws before a 3-pointer by VanVleet got the Rockets within 104-102 about a minute later.

Already without star Anthony Edwards for up to two months after arthroscopic knee surgery, the Timberwolves also played without guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who missed his second straight game with a bruised hip.

Kuminga received a flagrant foul 1 in the second quarter after elbowing Sengun in the jaw and knocking him to the court.

Timberwolves: Visit New Orleans on Friday night.

Rockets: Visit Phoenix on Saturday night.

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu, bottom, calls a time out as Houston Rockets guard Fred Vanvleet defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Rockets guard Fred Vanvleet, left, shoots as Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) shoots as Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jonathan Kuminga defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland reacts after making a three point basket against the Houston Rockets during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu , right, drives to the basket as Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

McCAYSVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Thunderstorms caused record flooding overnight in twin towns straddling the Georgia-Tennessee border, submerging some buildings to their rooflines on Thursday as emergency responders rescued dozens of people.

The storms dropped heavy rain across a mountainous area that drains into the Toccoa River between McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, causing life-threatening flooding on both sides. The Toccoa then flows into the Ocoee River, where the Tennessee Valley Authority was managing water levels at three of its hydroelectric dams.

As much as 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) fell overnight between the north Georgia towns of Blue Ridge and Ellijay, and runoff from uncontrolled streams swelled the rivers below, according to the TVA.

The Toccoa River reached a record high Thursday morning of 18 feet (5.5 meters), according to a river gauge in Copperhill, where fewer than 500 people live across from McCaysville, home to about 1,000. Copperhill officials urged people to take shelter in either town's City Hall as the river reached 2 feet (0.6 meters) above the level forecasters consider “catastrophic."

“It’s over the rooftops in several different areas. Right here in our downtown business district it’s about 6-7 feet high,” McCaysville Police Chief Michael Earley told Fox5 Atlanta. “I have one of my police cars that’s floating down the river right now. Don’t know where it’s at, but it’s somewhere down there.”

Photos and video showed some buildings submerged up to their rooflines as rescue crews in red boats and motorized rafts navigated through deep, rushing water flowing over downtown streets.

Earley told reporters about 40 people were rescued overnight plus five or six more Thursday morning. One firefighter suffered a minor injury and a few residents were treated for suspected hypothermia and shock, “but from what we could tell, everybody looked to be OK.”

The water began receding by late Thursday morning, said Robert Poole, spokesperson for the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency on the Georgia side. But the agency warned people against a false sense of security. “Floodwaters remain extremely dangerous, and conditions can continue to worsen even after the rain has stopped,” it said on social media.

Rescue operations were ongoing, with emergency personnel going house to house and searching overhead with a helicopter and drones, but the effort was complicated by cellphone and power outages, Earley said. The flooding also shut down the McCaysville water treatment plant, prompting a boil water advisory, and it put the city's dump trucks and heavy equipment out of reach.

The quaint downtowns are a destination for scenic railroad rides -- the Blue Ridge Railway on the Georgia side and the Copperhill Special in Tennessee. Both treat tourists to river and mountain views before stopping to sample the restaurants and shops.

This disaster hits particularly hard because McCaysville's downtown was inundated by another flood in August, damaging the police station and post office along with other businesses and residences. The renovated police building reopened just last week.

“Now here we go again,” the chief said. "A lot of people came together, and we’ve been cleaning the town for the past few months. We’re getting ready for Christmas, a lot of McCaysville events, our Christmas parade. So it’s devastating.”

It's crazy to be hit with two such damaging floods in just three months, the chief said. “I don’t know what God is trying to tell me.”

This image from video provided by the Tennessee Highway Patrol shows flash flooding along the Ocoee River in Polk County, Tenn., on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. (Sgt. Larry "Hitch" Hitchcock/Tennessee Highway Patrol via AP) CORRECTION: Ocoee River in Tenessee, Toccoa River in Georgia.