Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Minnesota Timberwolves turned it up late to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 on Friday, withstanding a vintage performance from LeBron James to take a 2-1 lead in their NBA Western Conference first-round playoff series. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high of 30 points, and Anthony Edwards added 29 for the Timberwolves, who closed the game on a 13-1 scoring run.
With Slovenian star Luka Doncic slowed by illness, James led the Lakers with 38 points, surpassing the playoff record for a player past his 40th birthday, the 32 points scored by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the NBA Finals in 1987. The teams had split the first two games of the best-of-seven series in Los Angeles. The Timberwolves host game four on Sunday, looking to take a 3-1 lead.
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James added 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocked shots, drilling a trio of three-pointers in the fourth quarter that helped the Lakers keep it close. They tied it at 103-103 with 4:37 remaining on a basket by Doncic, who was battling a stomach ailment that Lakers coach JJ Redick said had him throwing up throughout the day. Edwards responded with a three-pointer, and Naz Reid followed with another. After driving for a layup, Edwards blocked Rui Hachimura at the other end, and after McDaniels pushed the lead to 116-104 with 39 seconds left, Redick pulled his starters.
In the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks grabbed their first victories, with the Magic holding off the defending champion Boston Celtics 95-93 and the Bucks beating the Indiana Pacers 117-101. The Celtics and Pacers had both won the first two games of their series at home, so the victories to cut their series deficits to 2-1 were crucial for the Magic and Bucks—both teams aware that no NBA team has rallied from 3-0 down to win a playoff series.
Germany’s Franz Wagner scored 32 points and handed out eight assists, while Paolo Banchero added 29 points with six rebounds for the Magic in Orlando, where the Celtics erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit but were thwarted in the frantic final minutes. Six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum scored 36 points for the Celtics, showing no sign of the wrist injury that caused him to miss game two. Boston’s Derrick White drove for a finger roll layup to tie it at 91-91 with 2:31 remaining. But Wagner made back-to-back baskets to put Orlando back in front. Boston pulled within two on White’s dunk with 28.1 seconds left, but Orlando held on. “High intensity,” Banchero said of the final few possessions. “I love moments like these.”
With Banchero leading the way, the Magic erased an early eight-point deficit to lead 31-27 after the opening period. But Boston used a 14-0 scoring run in the second quarter to regain the lead, with Tatum delivering eight straight points in the spurt and Jaylen Brown capping the first half with a three-pointer that pushed Boston’s lead to 59-49 at the break. The Celtics couldn’t press the advantage, however, as the Magic produced a run of their own in a third quarter in which they out-scored the Celtics 24-11.
In Milwaukee, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo and Gary Trent Jr. scored 37 points apiece for the Bucks. Trent drilled nine three-pointers on 12 attempts, equaling the Bucks record for treys in a playoff game set by Ray Allen. “It’s a testament to my hard work, a testament to my teammates finding me,” Trent said. “It’s a blessing—we needed this win to continue to keep going.” Trent’s performance helped the Bucks rally from a 10-point halftime deficit. They out-scored the Pacers 39-18 in the third quarter to take control, leading by as many as 20 in the fourth. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 28 points, while Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points and 10 assists. Both the Bucks and Magic will try to level their series at home on Sunday.
© 2024 AFP
