By ASSOCIATED PRESS
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have found a new gear after a regular season of fits and starts.
Jaden McDaniels converted a three-point play with 39.5 seconds left for the lead and stole the ensuing inbounds pass from LeBron James, leading a rally by the Timberwolves for a 116-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that put them up 3-1 in the first-round series on Sunday, April 27.
Anthony Edwards, who had 43 points to lead Minnesota in scoring for the first time in this edition of the NBA playoffs, drew a foul on James during a drive to the lane with 10 seconds left and hit both free throws.
With Luka Doncic and James well-defensed along the arc, the ball went to Austin Reaves in the corner for the tying attempt that rimmed out.
Julius Randle added 25 points and McDaniels had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Wolves, who trailed by 12 late in the third quarter.
“It’s been a hallmark of this team in the second half of the season: There’s been no panic,” said Wolves coach Chris Finch.
Doncic bounced back from a stomach bug with 38 points on 13-for-28 shooting, but the Lakers headed home for a win-or-be-eliminated Game 5 on Wednesday.
“It’s going to be even harder to get the next one, so we’re going to have to fight through a lot,” Randle said, “but like we’ve done all year, we’ve got to rely on each other, play for one another, and we genuinely feel like if we do that, we give ourselves the best chance to win.”
Doncic, after fighting the illness and finishing with only 17 points in Game 3, was clearly feeling better after a full day to rest. But he went 1 for 6 in the fourth quarter from the floor.
James had 27 points and 12 rebounds for his 144th career double-double in the playoffs, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain for the third-most in history behind Tim Duncan (164) and Magic Johnson (157). James went 15 for 18 from the free-throw line, determined to get to the rim in what was the best game by the Lakers offense in the series, but he was scoreless in the fourth.
Reaves and Dorian Finney-Smith hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Lakers back in front with 1:29 left, but the Wolves took it from there.
Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum had 37 points and 14 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 21 points and 11 rebounds and the Boston Celtics took a 3-1 lead in their NBA playoff series with a 107-98 win over the Orlando Magic.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 19 points, including a dunk of his own missed layup that put Boston ahead for keeps with 3:58 left. Derrick White finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 31 points.
Game 5 of the best-of-7 first-round series will be played Tuesday night in Boston.
Franz Wagner had 24 points and seven assists for Orlando. Corey Joseph added 12 points, the highest scoring output for a Magic guard in the series.
Earlier, New York’s dynamic duo put Detroit on the brink of elimination — with an assist from the officials.
Karl-Anthony Towns made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 46.6 seconds left and finished with 27 points, Jalen Brunson had 32 points and 11 assists and the Knicks beat the Pistons, 94-93, to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Tim Hardaway Jr. shot a 3-pointer just before the buzzer and drew some contact from New York’s Josh Hart that wasn’t called a foul at the end of a physical game with few whistles.
David Guthrie, the crew chief for the game, said afterward that the officials made a mistake.
“After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called,” Guthrie said.
