Anthony Edwards on Saturday night scored 30 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves overwhelmed Oklahoma City 143-101 to tighten their NBA playoff series.
Edwards added nine rebounds and six assists. while shooting 12-of-17 from the floor and 5-of-8 from three-point range as the hosts Timberwolves pulled a game back to be 2-1 behind in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals.
However, moments after the 42-point win, Minnesota were determined to forget all about it.
Photo: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / USA Today
Such is life in the NBA playoffs.
“You’ve got to erase this one,” Edwards said. “This one is over. I know everyone is happy about this one, but we know OKC is going to come out and bring hella energy and be ready to go and they’re going to try to win Game 4. We’ve got to come out and exceed their energy and try to get a win and go back for Game 5. We’ll be ready.”
Julius Randle added 24 points for Minnesota, which set a club record for points in a playoff game in ripping the NBA regular-season win leaders and NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who managed only 14 points.
“We got punched in the mouth,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “You get punched, it’s about getting back up. It’s about responding. That’s what the next challenge is.”
The Thunder, who won the first two games at home, face game four today at Minneapolis and game five on Wednesday at Oklahoma City.
Minnesota’s victory was crucial because no team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff series.
“We just didn’t bring it from an energy and focus standpoint,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We just didn’t have it. They had the sense of urgency knowing if they go down 3-0, it’s going to be pretty tough.”
“They blitzed us pretty early and we were never able to get back. We’ve got to start coming out with a sense of urgency,” he added.
The Timberwolves set a club record for points in a playoff game and led by as much as 129-84 late in the fourth quarter.
“We do have to look at it and address the things that went awry for us,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “They really took it to us.”
Minnesota seized a 72-41 halftime lead, with Edwards shooting 8-of-11 from the floor and producing 20 points and eight rebounds in the first half.
“We just weren’t able to bottle him up the way we had the first couple of games,” Daigneault said. “Credit him for the energy and force that he played with. He was really on it early.”
Minnesota led by as much as 68-33 in the first half and set a club record for playoff points in a half with 72. They scored 13 points off 10 forced turnovers in the first half while the Thunder shot 12-of-40.
Edwards scored 16 points in the first quarter, outproducing the Thunder as the Timberwolves seized their biggest lead of the series to that point at 34-14.
In the second half, Oklahoma City began with an 11-2 run, but Minnesota answered with a 10-0 spurt and went on to grab a 103-61 lead as the Thunder sent their starters to the bench late in the third quarter.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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