The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 on Friday, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven first round Western Conference playoff series. The Timberwolves bounced back after dropping Game 2 on the road.
Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves with 30 points on 13-of-22 shooting, including 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Los Angeles was led by L. James, who scored 38 points on 13-of-21 from the field.
The Lakers vs Timberwolves matchup saw the Timberwolves hold leads after the first, third, and fourth quarters. Minnesota led 32-26 after the first, trailed 58-54 at halftime, regained the lead 90-84 heading into the fourth, and closed out the win 116-104.
Minnesota shot 48.4% from the field compared to Los Angeles' 47.4%. The Timberwolves also limited their turnovers, committing 11 compared to the Lakers' 19.
Luka Doncic struggled for the Lakers, scoring just 17 points while reportedly dealing with a stomach ailment. His off-night impacted the Lakers' offensive flow. Read more on his struggles.
The game was played in Minneapolis at Target Center, with an attendance of 19,312. The officials for the game were Mark Lindsay, Tony Brothers, Gediminas Petraitis, and Andy Nagy. See the full box score.
The Timberwolves finished the regular season 49-33, good for third in the Northwest Division standings. The Lakers finished 50-32, third in the Pacific Division. View full NBA standings here.
Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday. The series continues with Game 5 on April 30, Game 6 on May 2 (if necessary), and Game 7 on May 4 (if necessary).
"The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well."
