In a thrilling, physical matchup, the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 116-113 in a dramatic comeback win, bringing their series lead to 3-1.The Timberwolves were lead by a stellar 43-point performance from star guard Anthony Edwards, while Luka Dončić’s 38 points was not enough to give the Lakers the win.
L.A. coach JJ Redick made the unusual choice to not make a substitution for the entire second half — a choice that likely contributed to the Lakers’ close loss. The game came down to the wire, but a successful Minnesota challenge in the final seconds ended up sealing the Timberwolves’ comeback.
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Though the Lakers held a slim lead throughout most of the first half, Minnesota began to surge heading into halfway. Julius Randle then ended the half with an exclamation point, hitting a big three-pointer to give the Timberwolves the lead heading into halftime. Randle finished the game with 25 points after an incredible 21-point first half.
The Lakers opened the second half with a wild hot streak, going on a 14-0 run and quieting the Minnesota home crowd. But the Timberwolves started to push back, fueled by a stellar second half from Edwards. A wide-open three from Naz Reid with four minutes remaining got Minnesota within two points, turning the tide for the Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves pulled to a two-possession lead with two minutes left after a huge and-one from Donte DiVincenzo, but three-pointers from Austin Reaves and Dorian Finney-Smith pulled the Lakers back in front. Then, in the final minute, Reaves fouled Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels for an and-one opportunity, earning his fifth foul and giving McDaniels the chance to take a one-point lead.
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With less than 10 seconds remaining, James slapped the ball out of Edwards’ hands for a turnover, leading to a Minnesota challenge and a lengthy review. An overhead video angle made it clear that James made contact with Edwards’ wrist, resulting in a foul. Edwards hit both free throws, giving the Timberwolves a three-point lead.
Reaves had a chance to a game-tying three, but it bounced out of the basket. Minnesota earned the 116-113 win, sending a tired, disappointed L.A. team home with a 3-1 series deficit.
Redick said postgame that they made the decision to not sub anyone out during halftime, keeping the five-man lineup of James, Dončić, Reaves, Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura intact for the second half.
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“We certainly played well enough to win and we gave the effort to win. It’s not a planned thing to play five guys (for) an entire second half,” Redick said. “(I) asked them at the beginning of the fourth quarter, told them we had two extra timeouts, if you need a sub let us know. Those guys gave a lot.”
When asked if he was worried about overworking the players, Redick said that he trusted them to speak up if they needed to come out. “Once you’ve kind of made that decision and they all are in, you’ve just gotta trust them,” he said.
Both teams managed to stay healthy in the face of a very physical battle. Most players ended up on the ground at some point or another, including multiple collisions while diving for the ball, and a moment near the end of the first half where it seemed that Edwards had hurt his left knee.
Now, the two teams will fly back to Los Angeles for what is likely to be another exciting — and scrappy — Game 5.
