Anthony Edwards scored 36 factors and rallied the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 102-97 victory over Golden State on Saturday to grab the lead in its NBA playoff collection.
The Warriors, lacking star guard Stephen Curry with a left hamstring pressure, dominated defensively earlier than the Timberwolves battled again within the fourth quarter behind Edwards and Julius Randle, who had a triple-double with 24 factors, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
Requested in regards to the keys to a fightback triumph, Edwards stated, “Enjoying as a workforce, getting stops on the defensive finish and limiting these guys to at least one shot.”
The Timberwolves took a 2-1 lead within the best-of-seven Western Convention second-round playoff collection with recreation 4 on Monday at San Francisco.
“You possibly can’t ever get too snug,” Edwards stated. “This can be a championship DNA workforce. That is what they accomplish that we’ve acquired to be prepared always.”
Edwards had eight factors within the first half however scored 28 factors within the second half, 13 within the fourth quarter, and made 10 of his final 16 photographs.
“I stunk within the first half,” Edwards stated. “However you recognize, that occurs. Photographs are going to fall. Photographs will not be going to fall typically. However so long as you belief the work, preserve taking pictures it and shoot with confidence, you’ll be all proper.”
He praised Randle’s first playoff triple double.
“He’s huge time. He has come by way of in each recreation for us within the playoffs,” Edwards stated. “The best way he’s discovering folks (with passes) and getting us open appears to be like, I can’t ask for nothing higher.”
In Saturday’s solely different NBA recreation, defending champion Boston routed New York 115-93 at Madison Sq. Backyard to tug inside 2-1 of their Jap Convention second-round collection with recreation 5 Monday in New York.
The Celtics had squandered 20-point leads in two house playoff losses to the Knicks with woeful three-point taking pictures however Boston hit 20-of-40 from past the arc and held agency to the end to blow out New York, understanding no NBA workforce down 0-3 had rallied to win a collection.
Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics in motion in opposition to the New York Knicks throughout recreation three of the Jap Convention Second Spherical NBA Playoffs.
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Getty Photos
Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics in motion in opposition to the New York Knicks throughout recreation three of the Jap Convention Second Spherical NBA Playoffs.
| Picture Credit score:
Getty Photos
“We understood the magnitude of this recreation,” Boston’s Jayson Tatum stated. “We would have liked this one. Didn’t like the way in which we felt after final recreation so simply popping out right here with the appropriate mindset, simply making an attempt to place all of it collectively.”
In San Francisco, the Warriors led 42-40 at halftime with out making a three-pointer — their first playoff first half since 2007 with no hoop from past the arc.
Butler, who had 18 first-half factors, scored six, and Kuminga added 5 in an 11-0 run, which gave the Warriors their first lead at 23-21 early within the second quarter.
Golden State saved the Timberwolves with no basket for the final 6:29 of the second quarter and closed the half on a 13-1 run, however Edwards lifted the Timberwolves onto his shoulders and carried them to the end with a stunning second-half surge.
Faucet into your darkness
Reserve Payton Pritchard, the 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the 12 months, led Boston’s blowout win with 23 factors whereas Jayson Tatum added 22 factors, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Jaylen Brown had 19 factors and Derrick White scored 17.
“We perceive Monday goes to be a terrific ambiance, an enormous recreation. It’s going to be enjoyable,” Tatum stated.
“Simply popping out with the appropriate mindset, understanding we performed higher however we will play quite a bit higher primarily based on numerous issues we did we actually didn’t like tonight. So simply constructing off that.”
The Celtics overcame two humbling defeats to spice up their possibilities at Boston’s first back-to-back NBA titles since 1968-69.
“You don’t get into the journey for it to be straightforward,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated. “It has been darkish, however in a great way. You’ve simply acquired to faucet into your darkness and that’s it. That’s what we’ve acquired to do.”
Jalen Brunson led New York with 27 factors whereas Karl-Anthony Cities had 21 factors and 15 rebounds for the Knicks, who haven’t reached the convention finals since 2000.
“We have to play with extra of a way of urgency,” Brunson stated. “I don’t suppose we got here with the mindset we would have liked. Loads we have to focus on and determine.”