Anthony Edwards ignited a third-quarter surge as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Golden State Warriors 117-110 on Monday night, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series.
Edwards scored 30 points and buried a 30-foot buzzer-beater just before halftime that cut the deficit to 60-58, then fueled a 17-0 run in the third quarter that changed the game.
Julius Randle added 31 points on 11-for-21 shooting and Jaden McDaniels grabbed 13 rebounds as the Timberwolves moved within one win of the Western Conference Finals.
The Wolves outscored Golden State 39-17 in the third, turning a four-point halftime deficit into a 97-77 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Minnesota shot 47.1% from three-point range and outrebounded the Warriors 49-38 while limiting Golden State to just eight made threes on 29.6% shooting from deep.
Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors with 23 points off the bench and converted 11 of 12 free throws in his second straight strong outing.
Stephen Curry missed his third consecutive game with a left hamstring strain and is scheduled to be re-evaluated on Wednesday.
Buddy Hield scored 13 points but briefly exited late in the second quarter after being pulled down by McDaniels, a foul that was reviewed and ruled common.
Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler III chipped in 14 points apiece, but the Warriors failed to keep pace during the Timberwolves’ third-quarter blitz.
Edwards made six threes and dished five assists while continuing to set the tone on both ends of the floor.
Minnesota shot 49.4% overall and converted 23 of 26 free throws while holding Golden State to 43.5% from the field.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 13 points off the bench on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting night to give the Timberwolves a boost in limited minutes.
The Warriors have now lost three straight games since Curry’s injury and will face elimination in Game 5 on Wednesday in Minneapolis.
Golden State, the No. 7 seed in the West, has struggled to generate offense without its All-NBA guard, averaging just 103 points per game during his absence.
