Anthony Edwards erupted for 30 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves throttled the Oklahoma City Thunder 143-101, clawing back into the Western Conference finals and avoiding the brink of a 3-0 hole no NBA team has ever escaped, as per Al Jazeera.
Edwards shot 12-for-17 from the field and 5-for-8 from deep while adding nine rebounds and six assists. His first-quarter burst of 16 points powered an opening 34-14 surge, and Minnesota never looked back, setting franchise playoff records for points in both a half (72) and a game.
“I was super happy about the physicality and energy we brought,” Edwards said. “Being down 2-0, it’s all about energy, and we brought high energy.”
Julius Randle, benched late in Game 2, responded with 24 points. The Timberwolves led by as many as 68-33 in the first half and 129-84 in the fourth.
Oklahoma City’s MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was limited to 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
The Thunder shot just 30 percent in the first half and committed 10 turnovers that Minnesota converted into 13 points.
Game 4 is Monday in Minneapolis before the series shifts back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Wednesday.
