Minnesota Timberwolves grab 2-1 NBA play-off series lead as Boston Celtics get key win
Julius Randle of the Minnesota Timberwolves dunks the ball against Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter in Game 3. PHOTO: AFP
SAN FRANCISCO – Playing as a team, that was the message as Anthony Edwards scored 36 points and rallied the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 102-97 win over Golden State on May 10 to seize the lead in their NBA play-off series.
The Warriors, missing star guard Stephen Curry with a left hamstring strain, dominated defensively before the Timberwolves battled back in the fourth quarter behind Edwards and Julius Randle, who had a triple-double with 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
Asked about the keys to a fightback triumph, Edwards simply said: 'Playing as a team, getting stops on the defensive end and limiting those guys to one shot.'
With the victory, Minnesota took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference second-round play-off series with Game 4 on May 12 at San Francisco.
'You can't ever get too comfortable,' Edwards added. 'This is a championship DNA team. This is what they do so we've got to be ready at all times.'
He had eight points in the first half but scored 28 points in the second half, 13 in the fourth quarter, and made 10 of his last 16 shots.
'I stunk in the first half,' Edwards said. 'But you know, that happens. Shots are going to fall. Shots are not going to fall sometimes. But as long as you trust the work, keep shooting it and shoot with confidence, you'll be all right.'
He also praised Randle's first play-off triple-double.
'He's big time. He has come through in every game for us in the play-offs,' Edwards said. 'The way he's finding people (with passes) and getting us open looks, I can't ask for nothing better.'
In the only other NBA game, defending champions Boston routed New York 115-93 at Madison Square Garden to pull within 2-1 in their Eastern Conference second-round series with Game 4 also on May 12 in New York.
The Celtics had squandered 20-point leads in two home play-off losses to the Knicks with woeful three-point shooting but they hit 20-of-40 from beyond the arc and held firm to the finish to blow out New York, knowing no NBA team down 0-3 had rallied to win a series.
'We understood the magnitude of this game,' Boston's Jayson Tatum said. 'We needed this one. Didn't like the way we felt after last game so just coming out here with the right mindset, just trying to put it all together.'
Reserve Payton Pritchard, the 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, led Boston's blowout win with 23 points while Tatum added 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Jaylen Brown had 19 points and Derrick White scored 17.
'We understand Monday is going to be a great atmosphere, a big game. It's going to be fun,' Tatum added.
'Just coming out with the right mindset, understanding we played better but we can play a lot better based on a lot of things we did that we really didn't like tonight. So we are just building off that.' AFP
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