Barrett scores 31, Barnes adds 17 in return from injury, and Raptors beat Timberwolves 110-105

TORONTO (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 31 points, Scottie Barnes added 17 points in his return from injury, and the Toronto Raptors won back-to-back games for the first time this season by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-105 on Thursday night.

Chris Boucher scored 22 points and Jakob Poeltl had 15 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth straight double-double as the Raptors beat Minnesota in Toronto for the 20th straight time.

Anthony Edwards scored 21 of his 26 points in the second half and Julius Randle added 23 for the Timberwolves. Edwards shot 2 for 5 in the first half but made 7 of 15 attempts in the second half.

Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels scored 22 points and Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Minnesota has not won in Toronto since Jan. 21, 2004, when Sam Cassell, Kevin Garnett and Latrell Sprewell were the Wolves’ leading scorers in a 108-97 victory.

Timberwolves: Minnesota’s most recent road win over Toronto was Feb. 14, 2021, when the Raptors were playing in Tampa, Florida, because of border restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raptors: Barnes wore protective glasses in his return after missing the past 11 games because of a right orbital fracture. He shot 5 for 11 and had six assists in 27 minutes.

Barnes scored six points as Toronto used a 13-1 run to turn a 95-92 deficit into a 105-96 lead with 2:33 left in the game. Boucher started the run with a 3 and Barrett capped it with an alley-oop dunk off Gradey Dick’s pass.

The Raptors went 5 for 9 at the free-throw line in the first half but made 24 of 30 attempts in the second half.

Minnesota visits Boston on Sunday and Toronto begins a four-game road trip at Cleveland on Sunday night.

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Minnesota Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) drives as Toronto Raptors' Jakob Poeltl (19) defends during first-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Davion Mitchell (45) and Minnesota Timberwolves' Julius Randle (30) battle for a rebound during first-half NBA basketball game action in Toronto, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Minnesota Timberwolves' Naz Reid (11) is stopped by Toronto Raptors' Chris Boucher (right) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Davion Mitchell (front) and Minnesota Timberwolves' Rob Dillingham (back) battle for the loose ball during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Minnesota Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) drives past Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (4) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (4) protests to a referee after receiving a technical foul during first-half NBA basketball game action against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Toronto, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes sits on the bench during first half NBA basketball game action against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Toronto, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (4) protests to a referee after receiving a technical foul during first-half NBA basketball game action against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Toronto, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Minnesota Timberwolves' Jaden McDaniels (3) dunks as Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (4) defends during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares climbed in Asia on Monday, tracking last week’s gains on Wall Street, and analysts said investors were viewing President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his nominee for Treasury secretary as a relatively market-friendly choice.

Bitcoin fell slightly and oil prices also declined, while U.S. futures advanced.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 1.4% to 38,815.31, while the Kospi in Seoul rose 1.4% to 2,535.03. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 picked up 0.6% to 8,444.40.

In China, shares fell further, with the Shanghai Composite index giving up 0.4% to 3,255.39 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong falling 0.5% to 19,131.82.

China’s central bank kept the interest rate on the one-year medium-term lending facility unchanged at 2%.

Shares in technology companies saw big declines, with online shopping platform Meituan falling 4.3% while multimedia and video games company Tencent dropped 1.3%.

Taiwan's Taiex added 0.4% and the Sensex in India was up 1.5%. In Bangkok, the SET gained 0.2%.

This week will bring an update on consumer sentiment from the business group The Conference Board on Tuesday and key inflation data with the release Wednesday of the personal consumption expenditures index for October. The PCE is the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to a meeting of the Federal Reserve next month.

On Friday, stocks closed higher on Wall Street as the market posted its fifth straight gain and the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record high, gaining 1% to close at 44,296.51.

The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, to 5,969.34 while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2% to 19,003.65. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%.

Markets have swung widely since the U.S. elections in November, and Trump's choices to head Treasury and other key positions that influence economic and financial policies were among the factors overhanging investor sentiment.

Bessent, 62, is a hedge fund manager considered to be closely aligned with Wall Street. He is the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary.

The proposed choice was interpreted “as a sign that President-elect Trump might adopt a more measured approach to tariffs and fiscal policy. Bessent’s influence is expected to bring nuanced economic strategies to the forefront, potentially easing concerns over abrupt policy shifts,” Stephen Innex of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

But he said attention this week would likely focus more on the inflation data and what they might mean for interest rates, as the Fed holds its next policy meeting.

A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 gained ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies.

Nvidia fell 3.2%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology.

Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.7%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations.

Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.7% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.

In the crypto market, bitcoin hovered around $98,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday.

FILE - The New York Stock Exchange is shown on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

A currency trader talks on the phone near the screens showing the foreign exchange rates at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Currency traders work near the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A currency trader talks on the phone near the screen showing the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A currency trader walks near the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won and the Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)