Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Minnesota Timberwolves routed the Golden State Warriors to advance to the NBA Western Conference finals on Wednesday as the Boston Celtics kept their playoff campaign alive with a blowout victory over the New York Knicks. The Timberwolves, who had dominated the Warriors to open up a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, once again proved too strong for the seven-time NBA champions as they powered to a 121-110 win in Minneapolis.
The victory completed a 4-1 series triumph for the Timberwolves, who return to the Western Conference finals for a second straight season, where they will meet Denver or Oklahoma City for a place in next month’s NBA Finals. The Warriors, whose playoff campaign was derailed by an injury to Stephen Curry in game one against Minnesota, once again struggled to generate any offensive fluency in the absence of their superstar talisman. Instead, it was left to the Timberwolves to pull clear after taking the lead early in the first quarter, their greater size and shooting accuracy leaving them in total control for long periods.
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The Timberwolves led by 25 points late in the third quarter, and although a Warriors rally managed to cut the lead to nine points with seven minutes left, Minnesota regrouped down the stretch to close out a convincing win. Julius Randle led the Timberwolves scorers with 29 points while Anthony Edwards finished with 22 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds.
“We’ve had a season full of adversity, but as coach said at the end of the regular season — we didn’t do anything as far as trades or fire coaches,” Randle said. “We just stuck together and we got through it together. I’m super proud of our team — everybody has stepped up in some way this year. Now we got to keep it going,” he added. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the loss of Curry early in the series had also neutralized the effectiveness of Jimmy Butler.
“Once Steph went out, it changed everything for our whole team, but especially for Jimmy,” said Kerr, who maintains his team was good enough to have challenged for the championship had Curry remained fit. “I know we had a shot, I know we could have gone the distance. Maybe we wouldn’t have. Everything in the playoffs is about who stays healthy and who gets hot,” he said.
– Boston bounce back –
Reigning NBA champions Boston battled back from Jayson Tatum’s shattering injury blow to defeat the Knicks 127-102 and breathe new life into their faltering playoff campaign. The Celtics, trailing 3-1 and facing elimination in the best-of-seven series after Monday’s defeat that saw Tatum suffer a ruptured Achilles tendon, roared back at their TD Garden. Derrick White and Jaylen Brown led Boston’s fightback, combining for 60 points to extend the Eastern Conference semi-final series to a game six at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday.
White finished with 34 points while Brown chipped in with 26 points, eight rebounds, and 12 assists to give Boston a flicker of hope for the remainder of the series. Unheralded Boston bench player Luke Kornet produced a crucial defensive cameo, the 7ft 1in center brilliantly stymying the Knicks’ offensive efforts with seven blocks and a steal. Kornet also weighed in at the other end with 10 points — part of a balanced Celtics offensive effort that saw six players finish in double figures.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla praised his team’s response to Monday’s defeat and the devastating season-ending injury to Tatum. “Whatever it is that we have to go through, there’s no bunch of people I’d rather do it with than the guys in that locker room,” Mazzulla said. “It’s that simple. They made enough plays to win, and they gave us another chance to play. You never want to be without any of your players, especially one of your best ones. But regardless of who’s out, each guy steps up and plays a role.”
After reaching halftime level at 59-59, the Celtics took control after outscoring New York 32-17 in the third quarter, stretching the lead to as much as 23 points in the fourth quarter. Any hopes of a miraculous Knicks comeback dimmed with 7 minutes and 19 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter when star playmaker Jalen Brunson fouled out following a collision with Brown, exiting the game with 22 points.
© 2024 AFP
