Anthony Edwards struggled to find any sort of rhythm in Game 5 of Minnesota’s first-round series victory against the Lakers on Wednesday. The guard went 5 for 19 from the field, lowlighted by an 0-for-11 performance from beyond the arc.

Edwards admitted postgame he would have continued to try to force his offense to find any semblance of success down the stretch of the Timberwolves’ victory had it not been for Julius Randle.

Randle was one of the few Wolves players seeing his shots fall as he took advantage of good matchups to get to his spots and score. The confident forward called for the ball down the stretch with the idea that we would close out the contest and, thus, the series.

Edwards ceded some of the creation duties to Randle, who had 11 points in the fourth to key Minnesota’s 103-96 victory and put the Wolves into the Western Conference semifinals.

“We a team,” Edwards said. “Just give him the ball, let him go to work and realize he got the matchup that we looking for.”

That’s the general idea of offensive basketball, create an advantage and exploit it to your benefit. But the approach requires buy-in from all involved, starting with your best player. Edwards is Minnesota’s best player.

And while Minnesota benefits from the guard being a win-first guy, the 23-year-old superstar still must be convinced that a teammate will produce before Edwards gives way. Once that trust is in place, that guard will look for you, even in the most critical spots.

The primary case of that is Jaden McDaniels, who Edwards seems to out to every time the wing is open, even when McDaniels is in the midst of a harsh shooting slump. Because Edwards believes in McDaniels.

It’s now abundantly clear that he also believes in Randle. And everyone else likely does now, too. While Randle previously had playoff questions after a few rough postseason campaigns in New York, he answered the bell against the Lakers.

Randle averaged 22.6 points per game in the series, shooting 48% from the field and 39% from distance. He tallied nearly three assists per each turnover from Games 2-5 while competing at a high level on the defensive end.

“Julius Randle was absolutely huge in this series, and another guy who’s had a lot of unfair criticism in his career,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “He was outstanding on both ends of the floor. We don’t win this series without him. Julius was consistently great every night, just doing a lot of little things, timely things.”

Perhaps his time in New York proved that Randle may not be best suited as a No. 1 scorer in a playoff series. Very few are. But recent evidence suggests he slots in quite well as a No. 2. That’s not always the easiest role to step into. Partially because it means fewer shots on a nightly basis in what’s effectively a contract year for Randle, who has a $30 million player option for next season that he can either accept and play on, or decline to enter free agency.

But aside from that, the No. 2 spot on a team’s scoring ladder also creates a delicate dance, as you have to learn when you need to be aggressive for your team versus doing it at all times.

Finch noted Minnesota simply had to figure out how to best deploy Randle. He’s noted at various times that the Timberwolves erred in that early in the season. But they started to find their way midway through the season, just prior to Randle getting hurt. Finch points to Randle’s return to Madison Square Garden as a key turning point.

A month prior, Randle took eight first-quarter shots at Target Center against the Knicks. Minnesota’s offense bogged down and the Wolves were destroyed by New York. This time around, in an emotional return to New York City, Randle attempted just six shots on the night as the Wolves won convincingly.

“The offense hummed around him and through him,” Finch said. “He played defense. That had to be an incredibly emotional game, like the maturity to do that, and we were just starting to find ourselves at that point, like we weren’t an established product at that point in time. So, he could have easily gone in there and made it a revenge game, but he didn’t, and we won that game, which was a huge win for us at the time. … It kind of all snowballed from there.”

Finch said Randle realizes the talent around him in Minnesota. The Wolves sport one of the best eight-man rotations in the NBA, rivaling the likes of Boston and Oklahoma City.

“He wants those guys to succeed, as well,” Finch said. “He knows he needs to help create opportunities for them.”

Which is exactly what he has done over the past two-plus months, and Minnesota is in a great spot because of it.

“Everyone in this locker room knows who he is and what he does for us,” said Donte DiVincenzo, who’s in his second season playing with Randle. “He comes in the second half (Wednesday) and he just dominates the game on the offensive glass, getting downhill, making plays for everybody else. He would’ve had a double-double or triple-double if we made shots. His playmaking ability is very, very special for us and we’re going to ride Julius throughout the rest of the playoffs.”

Certainly, they’ll ride their Batman — Anthony Edwards — as well. But there will be nights when even Edwards can’t get it going, and the open shots of others may not be falling. At which point, as was the case in Game 5 against Los Angeles, it’s Robin to the rescue.

“When you play next to (Edwards), it made the game a lot easier,” Randle said. “Because they throw two or three people at him, so you’ve just got to be willing to move and be in the right spaces on the floor. You’ve got to be able to take advantage of that. (There’s) not a person in the world that can guard him one on one. So, teams are throwing everything at him.

“I always tell him, ‘Go be great. But if you need me, I’m right there for us.’ ”

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Each Friday, City Limits rounds up the latest news on housing, land use and homelessness. Catch up on what you might have missed here.

The Long Island City waterfront. The city kicked off public review this week for a proposed rezoning of the area. (Adi Talwar/City Limits)

Welcome to “What Happened in NYC Housing This Week?” where we compile the latest local news about housing, land use and homelessness. Know of a story we should include in next week’s roundup? Email us.

ICYMI, from City Limits:

New data shows which City Council districts produced the most affordable housing last year—and which ones came up short—as city officials debate potential changes to the land use public review process.

The state budget deal is likely to include $50 million to start a new statewide rental voucher program, which advocates have been trying to pass for years (though they wanted more funding).

The Department of City Planning kicked off public review for a proposed rezoning of Long Island City, which has already undergone a number of transformations.

A group of lawmakers want to use a batch of state climate funds for green energy upgrades at NYCHA.

Mayoral candidate Scott Stringer laid out details of his housing plan.

ICYMI, from other local newsrooms:

New Yorkers applying for affordable apartments through the city’s housing lotteries won’t have to file as much paperwork as before, an effort to streamline the process and get people into homes faster, The City reports.

The Adams administration wants to increase the share of rent paid by households using CityFHEPS rental vouchers, according to Gothamist.

The Rent Guidelines Board is considering rent increases of between 1.75 and 4.75 percent  for tenants in stabilized apartments, the New York Times reported. A final vote will take place in June.

Mayor Eric Adams’ executive budget proposal includes extra investments in supportive housing, according to City & State.

The post What Happened This Week in NYC Housing? May 2, 2025 appeared first on City Limits.

By KATIE WORKMAN

You know that burst of flavor you experience when you take a bite of certain savory foods, such as meat, fish, mushrooms or miso? That sensation of “whoa, that is just delicious!” In all likelihood, you are tasting umami.

Umami, which translates to “delicious savory taste, ” was identified as a distinct flavor in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda. It’s now recognized as the fifth taste, joining sweet, salty, bitter and sour.

The concept of this fifth taste has been embraced in the East for a long time, before it had an official name. But it’s still a relatively new idea to many home cooks in the West.

If you’ve ever wondered why sprinkling Parmesan on your pasta made it just so much more satisfying, why the exterior of a roasted pork shoulder has so much flavor, why miso soup tastes so luxurious, why bacon is so freaking delicious, why an anchovy-laded Caesar salad dressing makes you want to wriggle with joy, why caramelized onions have so much depth — the answer is umami.

Umami flavor comes from glutamate, a common amino acid or protein building block found in many foods. The most familiar is monosodium glutamate, or MSG. In the U.S., it was once believed that MSG wasn’t good for you, but it’s now generally recognized as a safe addition to food. Many Asian chefs have worked to reintroduce MSG into daily cooking.

Umami can be found in many ingredients in many cuisines

Foods rich with umami flavor include:

Aged cheeses: Blue cheese, gouda and cheddar are some of the most umami-packed cheeses due to the breakdown of proteins that takes places during the aging process. Parmesan cheese is widely recognized as an umami bomb.

Tomato products: The more cooked down, the more concentrated the umami — think tomato paste, sundried tomatoes and ketchup.

Mushrooms: In particular, shiitake, oyster and portobello mushrooms. Also, make use of dried mushrooms.

Meat and meat broths: Roasted and grilled meats are examples of umami richness. A roasted chicken, pan-seared steak. Cured meats like prosciutto and bacon are also umami powerhouses. So are ramen, udon soup and other foods made with rich savory broths.

Fish and seafood: Especially varieties like sea urchin, shrimp and scallops. You will also find high levels of umami flavor in fish and fish broths, especially little oily fish like sardines and anchovies.

Bonito flakes: These tissue-thin, fluffy shards of cooked and dry-smoked tuna are used as the base of dashi, a seasoning blend at the base of much Japanese cooking. Dashi also usually includes shiitake mushrooms and kombu (seaweed).

Many fermented things have umami taste

Soy sauce, or shoyu, is one of the pillars of umami flavor in Asian cooking. Fermentation breaks down the proteins in the soybeans and wheat used to make soy sauce into amino acids, glutamic acid in particular. Tamari is a gluten-free version of this condiment.

Fish sauce is another source of umami, used often in Southeast Asian cooking. The basic ingredients are anchovies and salt. The salt pulls out the liquid from the fish and creates a dark, potent amber sauce. This is one of the reasons that Thai, Vietnamese and Philippine food, to name a few, taste so distinctively and pungently savory.

Non-meat options

Vegetarians and vegans might think that elusive fifth taste is hard to achieve without meat or other animal products, but there is much good news!

Seaweed: Another big source of umami (and not coincidentally the other main ingredient in dashi).

Yeast enhancers and spreads: Umami is the leading flavor note of marmite and nutritional yeast.

Miso paste, made from fermented soybeans, is high in umami, whether you are using white miso, brown rice miso, red miso or yellow miso.

A few of many interesting accents from the pantry…

An online store called Umami Mart makes an umami salt that contains salt, black, garlic and shiitake mushrooms.

Red Boat makes excellent fish sauce and also has as a seasoned salt made with anchovies, a dry way to add pungent flavor.

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Fan favorite Kewpie Mayonnaise is rich in umami thanks to the combo of egg yolks, vinegar and MSG.

Cabi makes an umami dashi soy sauce, which packs a serious umami punch.

A company called Muso makes organic umami purees from soy sauce and koji-cultured rice designed to add flavor and tenderize foods.

Yamaki makes dashi sachets and various sized packages of bonito flakes.

Kayanoya is a Japan-based company known for its line of dashi products ranging from dashi, kelp and mushroom stock powders to ramen and udon broth mixes.

Vumami makes a line of condiments called Umami Bomb, made with fermented soy beans, tamari and shiitake mushrooms. They can be added to stir-fries or soups, and used as a dumpling dip.

Now that you know what you’re tasting, you’ll be looking for ways to incorporate more of this fifth dates into your cooking. It’s truly as easy as knowing what ingredients to reach for!

Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com/. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.

For more AP food stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/recipes.

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ

NEW YORK (AP) — One of Harvey Weinstein ‘s accusers broke down in tears and cursed on the witness stand Friday as a defense lawyer questioned her account of the former Hollywood mogul forcing oral sex on her nearly two decades ago.

“He was the one who raped me, not the other way around,” Miriam Haley told jurors.

“That is for the jury to decide,” Weinstein lawyer Jennifer Bonjean responded.

“No, it’s not for the jury to decide. It’s my experience. And he did that to me,” Haley said, using expletives as tears began streaming down her face.

Judge Curtis Farber halted questioning and sent jurors on a break. Haley, her eyes red and face glistening, did not look at Weinstein as she left the witness stand.

Haley, 48, was testifying for a fourth day at Weinstein’s rape trial. Questioning resumed after the break, with Haley composed but occasional flickers of frustration in her voice.

Bonjean continued to press her about specifics she did and did not recall from the alleged July 2006 assault and about its aftermath, including a time a couple of weeks later when Haley has said she had sex with Weinstein that she didn’t want but didn’t fight.

“You didn’t say, ‘Like, hey, what you did to me the other night wasn’t cool?’” Bonjean asked.

“No,” said Haley, reiterating that she “went numb” during the hotel encounter.

Weinstein is charged with sexually assaulting Haley and another woman and raping a third. He denies the allegations and his lawyers argue that his accusers had consensual encounters with a then-powerful movie producer who could advance their careers.

Haley, who has also gone by the name Mimi Haleyi, is the first accuser to testify at the retrial, which is happening after an appeals court overturned Weinstein’s conviction at an earlier trial. Haley’s testimony at that 2020 trial took just one day.

Haley alleges that Weinstein assaulted her after inviting her to his apartment to, as she put it, “just stop by and say hi.” She had worked briefly as a production assistant on the Weinstein-produced TV show “Project Runway,” and his company had booked her a flight to Los Angeles the next day attend a movie premiere.

She testified earlier in the week that Weinstein backed her into a bedroom and pushed her onto a bed, holding her down as she tried to get up and pleaded: “No, no — it’s not going to happen.”

Haley and two of her friends testified that she told them soon after that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her. She maintains she was never interested in any sexual or romantic relationship with Weinstein, despite his past overtures, but wanted his help getting jobs in show business.

Zeroing in on the alleged assault, Bonjean on Friday questioned why Haley would agree to go to Weinstein’s apartment after what the witness described as previous “bizarre” and “overwhelming” behavior, including his barging into her home weeks earlier as he sought to persuade her to go to Paris with him.

Haley said she didn’t have a reason to turn down Weinstein’s request to stop by his apartment, thought it would be impolite to refuse, and didn’t fear for her safety, even after his earlier behavior.

Haley grew emotional as Bonjean asked just how Haley’s clothes came off before Weinstein allegedly yanked out a tampon and performed oral sex on her. Haley said Weinstein took off her clothing, but she didn’t recall the details: “I was, you know, busy struggling,” she explained.

“You removed your clothes, right?” Bonjean soon asked, leading to the fractious and tearful exchange.

Earlier, Bonjean had focused on Haley’s trip to Los Angeles at the expense of Weinstein’s then-company. “Did you just think he was just being generous?” the defense attorney asked.

Haley said she accepted partly because she wanted to “get back in his good books” after turning down the earlier invitation to Paris, and the Los Angeles trip seemed more appropriate because she’d be traveling on her own and could also visit a friend there.

“You wanted to appease him, make him happy, make him like you?” Bonjean asked.

“Well, that, too,” Haley said.

Weinstein’s retrial includes charges related to Haley and another accuser from the original trial, Jessica Mann, who alleges a 2013 rape. He’s also being tried, for the first time, for allegedly forcing oral sex on former model Kaja Sokola in 2006.

Mann and Sokola also are expected to testify.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who allege they have been sexually assaulted unless they give permission for their names to be used. Haley, Mann and Sokola have done so.