PORTLAND, Ore. -- On a night when little was coming easily for the Portland Trail Blazers, Allen Crabbe was a godsend.

"He was the reason we won the game," teammate Damian Lillard said after Crabbe came off the bench to score 25 points in Portland's come-from-behind 105-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night at Moda Center. "He was our MVP. He carried us tonight."

Crabbe sank 8 of 10 shots from 3-point range as the Trail Blazers (39-40) rallied from a 15-point, third-quarter deficit to end a two-game losing streak.

Lillard collected 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for Portland, which moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Denver (37-41) in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Andrew Wiggins scored 36 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 16 boards for the Timberwolves, who were outscored 25-11 in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota (31-47) shot 3 of 23 in the final period, missing its first 13 shots from the field and going 1 of 21 until making the final two after the outcome was all but decided.

"We struggled most of the night, but the fourth quarter was terrific," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "I'm glad the defense kicked in the fourth quarter. We were a little more aggressive. We locked into our coverages. We did a lot of little things that make a difference."

Much of the offense was provided by Crabbe, who scored all of his points off 3-point attempts, including a four-point play in the fourth quarter.

"I hit the first couple, and it just felt good," Crabbe said. "My teammates found me in transition and the flow of the offense. It was one of those nights. Everything I threw up was going in."

Portland trailed through most of the first three quarters.

"We didn't play great for a consistent amount of time," Lillard said. "When we started to defend in the fourth quarter, (Crabbe) was the one we could turn to. He was exactly what we needed."

The Wolves started the game on fire, making eight of their first nine shots en route to a 17-8 lead. Wiggins was 5 for 5 with 11 points in the first four minutes. The difference was 32-18 after Ricky Rubio buried a 3-pointer, then a long jumper late in the first quarter. Rubio's 13 points helped the Wolves take a 34-20 advantage into the second period.

Wiggins had 21 points and Towns and Rubio 15 apiece, combining for 22-for-35 shooting as Minnesota carried a 61-53 lead into intermission.

The Wolves used a 9-0 run to take their advantage to 70-55 early in the third quarter. The Blazers answered with a 17-2 spurt to get even at 72. Minnesota came back with 13-4 tear to go in front 85-76. The margin was 87-80 heading into the final period.

Crabbe scored 10 straight Portland points, including a four-point play that closed the gap to 87-86 with 9:13 to play. Moments later, back-to-back treys by Crabbe gave Portland a 92-89 lead with 8:25 remaining.

The Blazers increased the gap to 99-92 on a Lillard layup with 3:50 to go. Lillard's free throws made it 101-94 with 58.5 seconds left. The Wolves got no closer than seven the rest of the way.

"We did a pretty good job overall with rebounding and the defense," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Then we let Crabbe get loose. We got off his body and were giving him air space. That was a problem.

"We had to give the starters a break to start the fourth (quarter) and we couldn't score. Then we couldn't get going again after that."

NOTES: Portland G Damian Lillard missed his first six shots from the field and finished 7 of 21. ... Minnesota C Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 27.6 points and shot 61.2 percent from the field in the past 11 games. ... Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau likened the Blazers and Timberwolves squaring off three times in 12 days to a playoff series. "We've been eliminated, but I like the fact that we're playing this team three times in a short amount of time," he said. "If you're not in the playoffs, this is as close as you can get to simulating that. They know everything you're doing. You know everything they're doing. Then, it's, 'Can you execute?' We have to use this as part of our learning." ... Portland coach Terry Stotts is glad his team remains in contention for the postseason. "I'd prefer to have a playoff spot clinched, but it's exciting," he said. "It's fun to be a part of."