Lower-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors vie for spot in West Finals

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors each knocked off a higher-seeded opponent in the first round of the National Basketball Association play-offs.

Now, the teams will battle for a trip to the Western Conference Finals. Sixth-seeded Minnesota will tip off against seventh-seeded Golden State in Game 1 of their best-of-seven semi-finals series on May 6 (May 7, Singapore time) in Minneapolis.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said both teams enter the series on a similar trajectory.

“It’s obviously a tough matchup. It’s a championship pedigree team. They’re similar to us. They’ve played their best basketball down the stretch and into the play-offs. They’re coming off a really, really tough series... But they showed what they’re made of in that series,” he said.

The Warriors clinched a first-round win over the Houston Rockets in a series that went the full seven games. The team had just one day off between their 103-89 win in Houston on May 4 and this latest series opener.

Golden State are back in the semi-finals after losing in the play-in round a season ago.

The acquisition of Jimmy Butler has had a lot to do with the Warriors’ resurgence. Butler joined a line-up that already featured Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and the trio have rejuvenated the team over the past three months.

Golden State were 25-26 when Butler made his team debut on Feb 8 against the Chicago Bulls.

The Warriors won 23 of 31 games to conclude the regular season before advancing via the play-in round and then taking down the second-seeded Rockets.

“We’re excited. We’re thrilled,” coach Steve Kerr said.

“When I think back to the trade deadline, where we were as a team, I’m so proud of these guys for what they’ve accomplished to put us in a position, as Steph says, to play meaningful basketball and give ourselves a chance. And we’ve got a chance with this group.”

Anthony Edwards gives the Timberwolves a great chance as well.

He leads the team with 26.8 points per game in the play-offs, and he racked up 31 assists with only six turnovers during a five-game series win over the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.

Julius Randle also has shone in the play-offs for Minnesota, recording 22.6 points per game.

In their head-to-head, Golden State won the regular-season series 3-1. All of those games took place before the Warriors added Butler to their line-up.

But Curry knows it will be a tough series against Minnesota, who are trying to get back to the conference Finals for the second straight season. “We know they had their run last year,” he said.

“They have a new look from Randle but the same ‘Ant’ who’s trying to take strides with every opportunity he gets. It’s going to be a tough challenge, we know.

“We’re going to have to send multiple bodies at (Edwards) and figure out a game plan to go at him. They’ve been playing some great basketball the last couple of months.”

Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic produced a 42-point masterpiece as the Denver Nuggets stunned the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119 in a dramatic Western Conference semi-final series opener on May 5.

In the East, a pulsating battle in Boston saw the New York Knicks dig deep to edge past the reigning champions Celtics 108-105 in overtime, after Jalen Brunson and O.G. Anunoby scored 29 points apiece for New York. REUTERS, AFP