NBA Playoff Wrap: Edwards Lifts Wolves Past Warriors, Celtics Cruise To First Win Over Knicks

Anthony Edwards hit a baseline 3-pointer with 1:19 remaining and scored 36 points, Julius Randle had a triple-double of 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 102-97 on Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series. (More Sports News)

Jimmy Butler had 33 points, seven assists and seven rebounds and Jonathan Kuminga scored 30 off the bench, but the Warriors still lacked the kind of rhythm they have with Stephen Curry on the floor.

Kuminga shot 11 for 18 as the Warriors again mixed and matched while playing without Curry as he nurses a strained left hamstring that he injured early in Game 1 on Tuesday.

Game 4 is Monday night at Chase Center.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr stressed his team had to win with defence - and his team couldn't make the key stops down the stretch.

Edwards, who showed no signs of being hampered after spraining his left ankle in the second quarter of Game 2, knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 6:16 remaining, while Jaden McDaniels made another key 3 with 3:20 to play.

Randle began 1 for 6 and missed his initial four 3-point tries before connecting 6:30 before halftime to put Minnesota up 39-29 and force a Warriors timeout. He shot 10 for 23.

Buddy Hield's 3 with 1:56 left pulled Golden State within 93-89, then McDaniels threw the ball away moments later, but the Warriors were sloppy.

Golden State missed all five of its 3-point tries in the first half but still led 42-40, then Hield found some rhythm and scored 14 second-half points.

Draymond Green fouled out with 4:38 to play, whistled for his sixth personal trying to block a shot by McDaniels that appeared questionable on several replay reviews. Green sprinted down the floor to the Warriors bench in frustration, then pulled on his warmup jacket and stood with hands on hips.

Celtics roll over Knicks to get back in series

Jayson Tatum had 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Payton Pritchard scored 23 points and the Boston Celtics easily got their first win in the Eastern Conference semifinals by routing the New York Knicks 115-93  in Game 3.

The Celtics went 20 for 40 from 3-point range after going just 25 for 100 in their two losses in Boston, when they blew 20-point leads in the second half of both games. They went ahead by 31 in this one and there was never anything resembling a comeback for the Knicks.

Tatum, an All-Star who shot just 12 for 42 overall in Boston, and Pritchard, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, both made five 3s.

Jaylen Brown scored 19 points and Derrick White had 17 for the Celtics, who will try to tie the series Monday night in Game 4 before returning to Boston for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Jalen Brunson scored 27 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks, who blew a 2-0 lead in this round last year and are still seeking their first conference finals appearance since 2000.

Boston made more 3-pointers than any team in NBA history during the regular season, when it swept all four meetings against New York. But the Celtics were ice cold to open this series, starting with an NBA playoff-record 45 misses in Game 1.

They made their first four 3-point shots in a blistering start Saturday and never really slowed down. They finished 6 for 7 behind the arc en route to a 36-20 lead, their highest-scoring first quarter of the postseason, quickly taking the energy out of a crowd where some fans paid more than $600 per ticket to be in the arena with the celebrities for one of the biggest games the Knicks have played in the 2000s.

Tatum and Pritchard hit consecutive 3s for a 55-33 lead with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the half, and Boston took a 71-46 lead to the locker room.

New York was 5 for 25 behind the arc and shot 68.6% on free throws - though that was mostly because Mitchell Robinson went 4 for 12 as the Celtics fouled the poor free throw shooter intentionally.