Timberwolves take 3-1 lead over Warriors with Steph Curry still sidelined

Anthony Edwards scored 30 points for his second straight 30-point performance, Julius Randle had 31 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 117-110 on Monday night for a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference playoff series.

Now, it’s back home to Minneapolis for the Wolves with a chance to clinch the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Warriors will still be without Stephen Curry, who sat out his third game in a row and is scheduled to have his strained left hamstring re-evaluated that day.

Edwards made consecutive 3-pointers and scored 11 total points in a decisive 17-0 Minnesota run that put the Timberwolves ahead 85-68 late in the third. They led 97-77 going into the fourth and the Warriors couldn’t catch up.

Edwards — coming off a 36-point performance in a Game 3 — hit a 30-foot 3 to beat the halftime buzzer and pull Minnesota within 60-58 at the break. And the Wolves delivered in the second half again after also trailing by two points at halftime in a 102-97 victory in Game 3.

Jonathan Kuminga came off the bench to score 23 points and convert 11 of 12 free throws for the Warriors, following up his 30-point performance in Game 3 with another gem.

Jaden McDaniels added 10 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota.

Buddy Hield went down briefly 4:17 before halftime after McDaniels grabbed at the guard’s neck and pulled the back of his jersey. The play went to replay review as fans chanted “You can’t do that!” but was deemed a common foul rather than a flagrant.

Golden State has now dropped three in a row since Curry hurt his leg early in Game 1 last Tuesday night. If all is healing well, the soonest he might play would be in a possible Game 6 back at Chase Center on Sunday.

The Warriors were slow getting their offense and 3-point shooting going in a 102-97 loss Saturday and it was much of the same this game.

Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green scored 14 points apiece and Hield 13. Kerr stuck with Kuminga coming off the bench and Trayce Jackson-Davis in the starting lineup for his size.

Even without Curry, Minnesota coach Chris Finch’s defensive game plan focused on keeping the Warriors from their dangerous 3-point flurries — and Golden State wound up 8 of 27 from deep.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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