The Minnesota Timberwolves closed out the Golden State Warriors with a 121-110 win in Game 5 on Wednesday night to return to the Western Conference finals.
Julius Randle powered the Timberwolves with 29 points on 13-for-18 shooting, continuing his strong postseason play and helping Minnesota control the game from the outset.
Anthony Edwards added 22 points and 12 assists, capping off another all-around performance that has defined the sixth seed’s playoff run.
Minnesota led by as many as 25 points in the third quarter before fending off a late Warriors surge that trimmed the margin to single digits.
Edwards responded with a timely three-pointer that pushed the lead back to 12.
The Timberwolves shot 62.8% from the field and 77% on two-pointers, setting franchise playoff records in both field goal percentage and total assists with 36.
Rudy Gobert dominated inside with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Mike Conley contributed 16 points and eight assists.
Donte DiVincenzo had one of his best games of the postseason, scoring 13 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting and adding six assists and four steals.
Brandin Podziemski scored a playoff career-high 28 points to lead the Warriors, who were without Stephen Curry for the fourth consecutive game due to a hamstring injury suffered in Game 1.
Jonathan Kuminga added 26 points off the bench, injecting much-needed offense, but Golden State’s defensive lapses and inconsistent production from key starters made it difficult to recover.
Buddy Hield and Jimmy Butler combined for just 25 points on 6-of-20 shooting, and the Warriors shot 28.2% from three-point range.
The Timberwolves will now await the winner of the Denver Nuggets–Oklahoma City Thunder series in the Western Conference finals.
If the Nuggets win Game 6 on Thursday, a Game 7 would be forced, potentially giving Minnesota up to five days off before the next round begins.
With this result, Golden State’s season ends after a 48-34 campaign that saw them earn the No. 7 seed in the West but fall short of a deep playoff run.
Minnesota, meanwhile, is back in the conference finals for the second straight year.
