SAN FRANCISCO—Anthony Edwards sparked excitement among fans with back-to-back 3-pointers within a 33-second window in the middle of the third quarter, helping shift the momentum in favor of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Golden State Warriors.
Regardless of how the teams match up, Edwards continues to dominate Golden State’s defense alongside Julius Randle.
Golden State’s coach, Steve Kerr, repeatedly emphasizes the importance of defense if the Warriors wish to win their playoff series against the Timberwolves. However, that defense fell short once more, as evidenced by the Warriors’ 117-110 loss on Monday night. This marks their second consecutive home defeat at Chase Center, putting the Warriors in a tough position with a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven Western Conference series as they head to Minneapolis for Game 5 on Wednesday.
“The mindset and the mood is still very high,” Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga stated with determination.
Both Edwards and Randle showcased their shooting skills, each going 11 for 21 from the field and collectively making 10 3-pointers, as the Timberwolves finished 16 of 34 from beyond the arc.
Randle consistently drove to the basket with ease during Game 4, setting the stage for Edwards to dominate the scoreboard by contributing 11 points as part of a 17-0 Timberwolves run in the third quarter.
“I think we just panicked because they were making everything,” Kuminga admitted. “We let our guard down.”
This dynamic duo poses a challenge that the Warriors struggle to contain, further complicated by the absence of Stephen Curry, who typically anchors the team. The combined efforts of Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green aren’t enough.
Randle, coming off a triple-double performance in a 102-97 Game 3 victory, contributed 31 points—with 19 by halftime. His shooting hasn’t dipped much; he scored 24 points in Game 3, following performances of 18 and 24 points in the first two games.
Slowing down Edwards is just as crucial for the Warriors. They managed to hold him to five of 14 shots in the first half on Monday, following a stellar game where he scored 36 points by making 13 of 28 shots and sinking five 3-pointers. However, Edwards’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer at halftime energized the Timberwolves, closing the gap to 60-58 and bolstering Minnesota’s drive.
Kerr felt encouraged by his defense’s efforts and Gary Payton II’s performance.
“It was a big shot. The way we defended it, it was great. Gary was all over him,” Kerr commented. “Draymond came out to double and he hits a step-back 30-footer. There’s not much you can do about that.”
Edwards continued his scoring spree by splitting two defenders for a floater and three-point play, quickly adding consecutive 3-pointers for a total of six in the game.
Before the game, Kerr specifically noted the challenge posed by Edwards and Randle.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to slow them down,” he stated, “especially late.”