Julius Randle scored 29 factors on 13-for-18 taking pictures to ship the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western Convention finals for the second straight yr with a 121-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Sport 5 on Wednesday night time.
Anthony Edwards had 22 factors and 12 assists for the sixth-seeded Wolves, who will face the Denver-Oklahoma Metropolis winner subsequent. They might get 5 days off, if the Nuggets beat the Thunder on Thursday to drive a Sport 7 within the different West semifinal sequence.
Brandin Podziemski had a playoff career-high 28 factors for the Warriors, who once more performed with out star Stephen Curry due to the hamstring pressure that compelled him out of the second quarter in Sport 1 and took the center out of their whole offensive operation.
Jonathan Kuminga offered one other power increase off the bench with 26 factors, however Podziemski’s efficiency got here too late and the manufacturing from Jimmy Butler and Buddy Hield was persistently too little after they led the series-opening win. In line with Sportradar, the Warriors hadn’t misplaced 4 straight video games in a single postseason since 1972.
Golden State offered way more of a defensive problem than the Los Angeles Lakers did for Minnesota throughout their five-game sequence within the first spherical, however the assortment of every-level scorers the Wolves can throw at an opponent after they’re shifting the ball and pushing the tempo merely wore down the Warriors over the course of this sequence.
Rudy Gobert was a drive across the rim with 17 factors, Mike Conley had 16 factors and eight assists, and Donte DiVincenzo snapped out of a hunch with 13 factors because the Wolves shot 77% on 2-pointers (36 for 47).
Collection close-out video games can typically be the hardest to win, however the Wolves performed with a ferocity paired with their taking pictures contact that every one however portended victory.
Randle stored up his excellent postseason, offering a continuing supply of power and manufacturing. After grabbing the rebound of Draymond Green’s missed 3-pointer, Jaden McDaniels despatched an outlet move to Randle for a layup and a three-point play for a 62-47 lead that ignited the gang.
Butler had 17 factors for the Warriors, who whittled a 25-point deficit late within the third quarter right down to 99-90 on a uncommon made 3-pointer by Moses Moody with 7:11 left. Edwards answered instantly together with his personal 3, and the lead was by no means beneath double digits once more.
Reporting by The Related Press.
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