The warriors are cornered! Curry was injured, Edwards 30+4+5, the Timberwolves won the match point 3-1

On May 13, Beijing time, in the 2024-25 NBA Western Conference Semifinals G4, the Warriors continued to sit at home against the Timberwolves, and Stephen Curry continued to miss due to injury. With Edwards' outstanding 16 points in the third quarter, the Timberwolves finally defeated the Warriors 117-110, and the Timberwolves won the series point 3-1.

Statistics

Warriors: Butler 14 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, Kuminga 23 points, Dream Green 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists, Hield 13 points, Podzemski 11 points

Timberwolves: Edwards 30 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, Randle 31 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, McDaniels 10 points and 13 rebounds, Conley 11 points, Walker 13 points

Background

The Timberwolves turned the tide immediately after losing G1 and regained the series initiative with two straight wins. G3, Edwards exploded with 36 points, including 13 points in a single quarter in the fourth quarter, helping the team withstand the pressure and win the game. In addition, Reed, who came off the bench, also helped the team a lot, leading the team in three-point shooting (9) and three-point shooting percentage (50%) in the first three games. It is worth mentioning that the Timberwolves have conceded an average of only 92.7 points per game in the three games so far in the series.

The Warriors lost two games in a row in a good situation of taking the lead in one city. In G3, the Warriors once saw hope of winning with the play of Butler and Kuminga, but the team played poorly overall, making only 23 three-pointers and hitting 10 of them, and even set an embarrassing record for the first time in recent years that the team did not score three-pointers in the first half. For the Warriors, G4 has become a do-or-die battle, and if they return to Minnesota to play G5 with a big score of 1-3, then their chances of being eliminated are very high.

Game recap

After the opening game, the Warriors took the lead and took the lead and got off to a 5-0 start. Randle scored two goals in a row to help the Timberwolves close the gap. Subsequently, the two sides alternately went back and forth to take the lead. When the Timberwolves extended their lead to five points, Dream and Payton Jr. teamed up for two three-pointers, and Kuminga continued the hot touch of the last game, scoring six consecutive points to help the Warriors lead the Timberwolves 28-27 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Randle and Walker combined for three three-pointers, and the Timberwolves regained an eight-point advantage. The Warriors responded immediately and blasted a 14-3 offensive surge. The Timberwolves relied on Edwards' three-pointer to tie the score to 58-60 at the end of the first half.

In the second half, Edwards was once again powerful, scoring 16 points in a row, stopping the Warriors twice in a row, and helping the Timberwolves establish a 17-point advantage. At 3:08, Kuminga's layup helped the Warriors break the scoring drought, but the Timberwolves hit another 12-7 spurt. At the end of the third quarter, the Timberwolves led the Warriors 97-77. In the final quarter, Edwards received his fifth foul after only 31 seconds, and had no choice but to go off again. The Warriors took advantage of the opportunity to chase it up to 87-103. At 6:24, Randle's free throw extended the Timberwolves' advantage to as many as 21 points. Although the Warriors then narrowed the deficit to single digits, they struggled to turn the tide. In the end, the Timberwolves defeated the Warriors to get the series point in the series.

Both sides start

Warriors: Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Buddy Hield, Tress Jackson Davis, Blandin Podzemski

Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley