Anthony Edwards scored 29 factors and Karl-Anthony Cities produced a vital late burst of long-range capturing because the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Dallas Mavericks 105-100 on Tuesday to maintain their NBA Western Convention finals sequence alive.
Minnesota, trailing 3-0 within the best-of-seven sequence heading into recreation 4, held off a livid late rally to shut out a battling victory on the Mavericks’ house area.
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Edwards led the Minnesota scoring however the decisive contribution got here from Cities, who drained a trio of three-pointers to assist the Timberwolves take a 98-92 lead with lower than two minutes remaining.
Edwards prolonged the cushion to 100-92 by way of a leap shot with 1min 47sec left on the clock to go away Minnesota in management.
However there was nonetheless time for Dallas to provide the third seeds a nervous finale, closing to inside three at 100-97 earlier than Edwards’ elegant pull-up jumper from 21 ft put the Timberwolves 5 factors clear with 40 seconds left.
The guests held that benefit by means of to the buzzer and now have slender lifeline to cling to as they head to recreation 5 again in Minneapolis on Thursday.
Edwards mentioned afterwards he had been decided to stop Dallas clinching a clear sweep.
“I’ve by no means been swept in my profession, though I’ve been to the playoffs 3 times,” Edwards informed TNT tv.
“I took it personally.
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“I undoubtedly didn’t wish to get swept, particularly right here on their house courtroom, listening to the followers speaking trash all day. I feel we got here out and competed at a excessive degree at present.
“I feel I used to be aggressive. I didn’t draw back from the ball they usually saved giving it to me and trusting me,” added Edwards.
Dallas in the meantime have been left pissed off after dropping regardless of one other triple double from Luka Doncic, who completed with 28 factors, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
Doncic nonetheless had an off-night from long-range, making simply four-of-11 from three-point distance. As a crew, Dallas went 14-from-40 outdoors the arc.
“This one’s on me,” Doncic mentioned after the loss. “We acquired to do higher. They’ve received one recreation, we’ve simply acquired to give attention to the following one.
“It was shut ultimately however we couldn’t end. So that they received and now we simply should give attention to the following one.” Cities completed with 25 factors, with Mike Conley including 14 and Rudy Gobert 13.