The Timberwolves took a massive body blow in the third quarter of Game 4 Sunday at Target Center.
The Lakers, trailing 2-1 in the series and with two days off before Wednesday’s Game 5, were going for a game they had to have.
Trailing by three at the break, Los Angeles finally opened the second half with its best lineup – Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura – and rode it all the way to the finish line.
Twenty-four minutes, zero substitutions. It was a home-run swing, and the Lakers made good contact in the third quarter. They out-scored Minnesota by 13 in the frame to claim a 10-point lead going into the fourth and put themselves in good shape to even up the series heading back to Los Angeles.
Right where the Wolves wanted them. Just when you think you have the Wolves beat, that’s when you don’t. No one throws a better counterpunch than Minnesota.
Anthony Edwards delivered one hell of a haymaker on Sunday at Target Center.
Perhaps it was a knockout punch on the Lakers’ campaign.
Edwards scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to go with four rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot to bring Minnesota all the way back for a 116-113 victory over the Lakers.
The Wolves now lead the best-of-7 series 3-1, with Game 5 set for 9 p.m. Central on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
“There wasn’t any panic. It’s been a hallmark of this team in the second half of the season. There’s been no panic,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “We’ve been down a bunch, even in the first half of the season we were down a lot through not the greatest of play and then we’d come back.”
This, in fact, was Minnesota’s seventh win this season when trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter, which is tied for most in the NBA. They’ve done it against the best teams, too.
The Wolves were down by 24 to Oklahoma City in the fourth, they rallied from 16 down in the final five minutes against Houston.
The wolf is most dangerous when it’s backed into the corner. Particularly when the leader of the pack is so daring and fearless. Edwards drilled a couple triples right in the eyes of the Lakers at the beginning of the final frame to draw Minnesota back into the fight.
The guard finished with 43 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
By game’s end, Edwards was in attack mode, often driving to draw attention before hitting others. In the final four minutes, Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo and Jaden McDaniels all had key buckets.
McDaniels’ slam and the ensuing free throw after he was fouled with 40 seconds left put Minnesota up one. McDaniels then collected a steal on the ensuing possession and Edwards went to the line and buried a couple free throw with 11 seconds left to put Minnesota up three.
The Lakers generated a great look to tie the game at the horn, but Austin Reaves’ triple clanked off the iron, and Minnesota’s latest comeback bore valuable fruit.
Even on a day when Doncic scored 38 points, James had 27 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and three steals and Hachimura canned five triples.
“Super proud of the way we responded. They got a team over there that doesn’t quit. They got guys with championship experience and have been in many of those games before and found ways to win,” Wolves guard Mike Conley said. “For us to get guys chipping in, in different parts of that comeback – Naz him being subbed in (late) and doing what he did. Donte making big plays. Ant making the right reads. Julius as well. Jaden. Everybody came up there to get the right moments.”
Randle, who finished with 25 points and seven boards, said he was confident Minnesota could wear the Lakers down. That didn’t necessarily happen with bodies. Like Los Angeles’ five, Edwards also played the whole half, and McDaniels nearly did.
But they did so with relentless defensive pressure. Minnesota pressured the ball and was on top of its rotations over the final 12 minutes, as it held the Lakers to 28% shooting.
“The guys always have a belief they can come back,” Finch said. “We just had to figure out some things defensively. That was the biggest thing to solve at the quarter break. They were getting loose in the middle of the floor and using that as an opportunity to pick us apart from the 3-point line.”
The Wolves simply kept coming, and eventually proved to be too much for the Lakers.
“I think it’s just from us being here so many times, being in the playoffs, we gotta stay together and when we do stay together we can come back from big leads,” McDaniels said. “Like last year (in Game 7 in Denver). So, just a big lead is never enough to just stop playing, sit down and (not) compete anymore.”
If Minnesota has proven anything this year, it’s that it will not lay down. If you want to beat the Wolves, you’ll have to do so for 48 minutes.
The Lakers – LeBron, Luka and all – came up 12 short on Sunday.
“Says a lot about us and who we are,” Conley said. “Just happy to see this team find a way.”
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