Anthony Edwards scored 36 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help the Timberwolves defeat the Phoenix Suns 126-109 on Friday night. This victory gave the Timberwolves a 3-0 lead in the playoff series, marking the first time in franchise history that they have achieved this.
The Timberwolves are looking to complete a sweep in Game 4 of their first-round Western Conference series against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night in Arizona. Rudy Gobert contributed 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota, who are the third seed. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 16 points, with 12 coming in the third quarter, Mike Conley had 15 points and seven assists, and Naz Reid added 13 points for the Timberwolves.
On the other side, Bradley Beal scored 28 points, Kevin Durant had 25, and Devin Booker registered 23 points and eight assists for the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns. Eric Gordon added 11 points to the Phoenix Suns’ effort. Anthony Edwards scored 18 points in the final quarter, bringing his total to 30 or more points in seven career postseason games, tying Kevin Garnett for the franchise record. It’s worth noting that no team has ever come back from a 3-0 playoff deficit in NBA history.
Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning shot helped the Pacers secure a 121-118 overtime victory against the Bucks on Friday. Despite letting a 19-point lead slip away, the Pacers managed to hold off the Bucks’ comeback attempt to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Haliburton recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 16 assists, while Khris Middleton of the Bucks scored 42 points. Middleton hit crucial three-pointers to force both regulation and overtime ties, but Haliburton’s last-second floater and free throw sealed the win for the Pacers.
Despite Middleton’s efforts, the Bucks couldn’t keep up with Indiana, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo still sidelined due to injury. Damian Lillard of the Bucks also faced injury scares but managed to contribute 28 points before aggravating an Achilles tendon injury. Myles Turner led the Pacers with 29 points as they look to extend their series lead in game four.
In Dallas, Luka Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, left the game with an injury but later returned to score 22 points, grab 10 rebounds, and dish out nine assists to lead the Mavericks in a heated matchup against the Clippers. Russell Westbrook of Los Angeles and P.J. Washington of Dallas were both thrown out of the game after a physical altercation that began with Westbrook’s hard foul on Doncic in the fourth quarter when the Mavericks were ahead by 16 points.
Despite the Clippers reducing an 18-point deficit to six in the third quarter, Kyrie Irving, who had only two points until the final minutes of the third period, scored 19 more points to help Dallas extend their lead. James Harden and Norman Powell each scored 21 points for the Clippers, but Harden struggled in the second half with only seven points, and the Mavericks limited Paul George to seven points and Kawhi Leonard, who was dealing with knee issues, to nine points.
