Berliner Boersenzeitung - T-Wolves silence Thunder to tighten NBA playoff series

Edwards added nine rebounds and six assists while shooting 12-of-17 from the floor and 5-of-8 from three-point range as the host T-Wolves pulled within 2-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.

"I was super happy about the physicality we brought and the energy we brought," Edwards said. "Being down 2-0, it's all about bringing energy and we brought high energy."

Julius Randle added 24 points for Minnesota, which set a club record for points in a playoff game in ripping the NBA regular-season win leaders and NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who managed only 14 points.

The Thunder, who won the first two games at home, face game four on Monday at Minneapolis and game five on Wednesday at Oklahoma City.

"You've got to erase this one. This one is over," said Edwards. "I know everyone is happy about this one but we know OKC is going to come out and bring hella-energy and they are going to be ready to go and going to try to win game four and we've got to try and exceed their energy and get a win.

"We'll be ready."

The West winner will face either the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.

Minnesota's victory was crucial because no team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff series.

The dominating fashion by which the T-Wolves won, setting a club record for points in a playoff game and leading by as many as 45 points, indicated they could be a threat to upset the playoff top seeds.

Randle was benched late in game two and unhappy about it but responded by taking out his frustrations on the Thunder.

"He's a vet. A vet knows what to do. A vet knows how to respond," Edwards said of Randle. "He knows not to take nothing too personal... I could see it in his eyes. He wanted his respect back and he got it."

Edwards was also pleased for reserve Terrence Shannon, who scored 15 points in 13 minutes on the court.

"TJ came in and brought ultimate energy," Edwards said. "We can't ask for nothing more. He came in and made all the right plays, attacked the basket with aggression and he came up big for us."

Minnesota seized a 72-41 half-time lead, with Edwards shooting 8-of-11 from the floor and producing 20 points and eight rebounds in the first half.

The T-Wolves led by as many as 35 points in the first half, at 68-33, and set a club record for playoff points in a half, only to break it in the second half.

They scored 13 points off 10 forced turnovers in the first half, in which the Thunder managed only a dozen baskets on 12-of-40 shooting.

Edwards scored 16 points in the first quarter, outproducing the Thunder as the T-Wolves seized their biggest lead of the series to that point at 34-14.

The Timberwolves pushed to a 48-20 edge, the Thunder starting 6-of-27 from the floor as Gilgeous-Alexander had two points on 1-of-5 shooting.

In the second half, Oklahoma City began with an 11-2 run but the T-Wolves answered with a 10-0 spurt and went on to grab a 103-61 lead as the Thunder sent their starters to the bench late in the third quarter.

The Timberwolves took their biggest lead at 129-84 late in the fourth quarter.

(T.Renner--BBZ)