LA Lakers face elimination, battle Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James chases the ball as a result of the defence of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels in the third quarter during Game 4.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LOS ANGELES – The Minnesota Timberwolves now have three opportunities to eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers from the NBA Western Conference play-offs, with their first chance coming in Game 5 on April 30 (May 1, Singapore time) at Crypto.com Arena.
The aggressive Timberwolves took a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven opening-round series by overwhelming the Lakers down the stretch of Game 4 with a 32-19 advantage in the fourth quarter en route to a 116-113 victory.
Guard Anthony Edwards was every bit the star in the closing 12 minutes, scoring 16 of his game- and series-high 43 points.
The Game 4 victory came after the Lakers led by 12 in the third quarter and by 10 with 11min 25sec left. Edwards’ free throws with 3:47 remaining gave Minnesota a lead they never relinquished.
“There wasn’t any panic... The guys always have a belief they can come back,” said Minnesota coach Chris Finch.
Forward Jaden McDaniels added: “When we stay together, we can overcome big deficits.”
Since March 2, Minnesota has gone 20-5 after forward Julius Randle returned from injury. Though they struggled initially after his arrival, they now appear cohesive.
Things are much different in the other camp.
Despite major Lakers headlines this season – LeBron James playing with his son Bronny, Anthony Davis’ departure, and Luka Doncic’s arrival – they now face elimination, needing three straight wins to survive.
When they acquired Doncic, it seemed like a future-focused move that sacrificed defence for post-LeBron stardom. Surprisingly, under coach J.J. Redick, they’ve already found success with forward Doncic.
They now must find it again after a Game 4 loss when their stars remained on the floor the entire second half and appeared to run out of gas.
Doncic finished Game 4 with 38 points after he was slowed in Game 3 by a stomach bug. James, who had 27 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists, made no excuses in defeat.
“I don’t think fatigue had anything to do with that. Just missing some point-blank shots. We were getting into what we wanted to get into. We just weren’t able to convert,” James said.
The Lakers shot 45 per cent overall, beating the Timberwolves’ 42.2. However, in the fourth quarter, with Edwards excelling on both ends, Los Angeles dropped to 27.8 per cent while Minnesota hit 45.5.
“Obviously, you don’t think about winning three, you think about just getting the next one. That’s the only thing that matters... It’s all about Wednesday. That’s what’s important,” James added of the situation facing his team now.
Meanwhile, in play-off action on April 29, the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics became the latest teams to book their places in the second round as the Detroit Pistons thwarted the New York Knicks to keep their hopes alive.
Over at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Pacers overcame a 20-point deficit and rallied in overtime to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118, winning their Eastern Conference series 4-1, while the Celtics overpowered the Orlando Magic with a 120-89 victory at TD Garden to also advance 4-1. However, the Knicks, leading their series 3-1, lost 106-103 to Detroit at Madison Square Garden.
Over in the West, the Denver Nuggets edged ahead 3-2 after clinching a 131-115 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Ball Arena. REUTERS, AFP
