The Minnesota Timberwolves capped a 116-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night time on a 13-1 run. Anthony Edwards accounted for seven of these crucial factors for the Wolves as they surged within the last 4 and a half minutes to assert a 2-1 lead of their first-round collection.
Actually, every of Friday’s three NBA playoff video games resulted in a 2-1 collection. The Orlando Magic and Milwaukee Bucks picked up wins earlier within the night time to forestall their opponents from taking a 3-0 lead.
The Magic bested the defending champion Boston Celtics 95-93 in Orlando in a detailed contest that remained a barn burner down the stretch. Orlando largely relied on its protection, whereas Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero sparked the offense with 32 and 29 factors, respectively. Boston, in the meantime, benefited from the presence of its All-Star duo who had been coping with earlier accidents — Jayson Tatum (wrist) and Jaylen Brown (knee) mixed for 55 factors. However the Celtics felt the absence of Jrue Vacation, who was out with a hamstring pressure.
The Bucks additionally secured a victory in entrance of a house crowd, beating the Indiana Pacers 117-101 in Milwaukee behind 37-point performances by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Gary Trent Jr.
Recreation 4s for every of those collection happen on Sunday.
Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104
(Minnesota leads collection 2-1)
Timberwolves grind out key win
Combating the ghosts of house playoff failures previous, the Timberwolves dug deep to drag out a crucial win. The Wolves had misplaced 5 of their final six house video games throughout final season’s playoff run, three of these to Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks.
They regarded headed there once more after they shot 4 for 17 from 3-point vary within the first half. However they discovered simply sufficient offense within the second half to take a 2-1 collection lead.
Most significantly, one of many worst clutch groups within the league this season discovered a technique to grind out a recreation in opposition to two of the league’s final closers.
Edwards hit a giant 3 with 4:17 to go, Naz Reid hit a giant 3 and Edwards drove previous LeBron James, then hit a jumper with a minute to go to get simply sufficient cushion. This can be a belief-infusing victory. And now they’ve little time to relaxation earlier than Recreation 4 on Sunday.
Edwards completed with 29 factors, Julius Randle had 22 and Reid had 11 factors and 6 rebounds. — Jon Krawczynski
SHEEEESH ANT pic.twitter.com/TKCrKJUX43
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 26, 2025
McDaniels shines for Minnesota
For the second time in three video games this collection, Jaden McDaniels was a star for the Timberwolves. McDaniels scored 30 factors on 13-for-22 capturing, had 5 rebounds and two steals in 38 minutes.
He additionally performed very good protection on Dončić, who was 6-of-16 capturing whereas battling an sickness.
That is what the Timberwolves hoped for after they signed him to a five-year, $136 million extension that began this season. He was a two-way drive and solely dedicated two fouls within the recreation. He missed his first 4 3s of the sport, the one factor to quibble with. However he atoned for that with a nook 3 with 38.9 seconds left that iced the sport.
When McDaniels performs like this, the Wolves are very onerous to beat. — Krawczynski
Lakers undone by too many self-inflicted wounds
The theme for the Lakers coming into Recreation 3 was relishing the street environment — and utilizing it to propel them to steal home-court benefit. Dončić is a playoff villain to so many fan bases partly due to his street exploits.
The Lakers had an opportunity to drag it off in Recreation 3, with the sport tied 103-103 with 4:37 left. From that time on, Minnesota outscored Los Angeles 13-1 to shut the sport. The Lakers have been undone by a mixture of turnovers, missed free throws and uncontested 3s off their doubles and rotations.
It additionally didn’t assist that Dončić had been coping with a abdomen bug since yesterday. He nonetheless almost managed a triple-double — 17 factors, seven rebounds and eight assists — however he bought off to an uncharacteristically gradual begin (two factors within the first quarter) and was inefficient (6-of-16 capturing). LeBron James (38 factors on 13-of-21 capturing) picked up many of the slack, however the Lakers’ miscues offset their environment friendly capturing as a crew (47.4 % total and 42.5 % on 3s).
The Lakers now discover themselves down 2-1 with lower than 40 hours to regroup. The Wolves have received eight of 12 quarters up to now. — Jovan Buha
Celtics 95, Magic 93
(Boston leads collection 2-1)
How Orlando pulled off the crucial win
Nobody inside the Magic stated this publicly, however they needed to know that Recreation 3 was a must-win recreation for them.
No NBA crew has ever come again from a 3-0 collection deficit to win a best-of-seven collection. Earlier than this postseason, groups which have received the primary three video games have a 157-0 collection report, in response to league statisticians.
To say the Magic performed determined is correct but in addition contextually inaccurate. They performed determined of their two losses in Boston, too.
So, what modified?
They fed off their crowd — simply as they hoped they might do — although their crowd was nowhere close to as loud because the TD Backyard crowd was throughout Recreation 2.
This time, in sharp distinction to the collection’ opening two video games, the Magic opened the third quarter properly, happening a 14-0 run to reclaim a tenuous lead. In addition they restricted the Celtics’ second-chance factors. And the Celtics had some uncharacteristically horrid capturing to shut the quarter.
Wagner was dominant at instances, scoring 32 factors, accumulating seven rebounds and shelling out eight assists, all whereas he typically guarded Tatum or Brown.
Orlando additionally obtained sturdy performances off the bench, notably Anthony Black’s protection throughout the first half.
What stays a thriller is why Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been so ineffective on offense. It appears like a quibble in Friday’s speedy aftermath; in spite of everything, the Magic received the sport. However for the Magic to push the Celtics to a sixth recreation or past, Caldwell-Pope should begin to produce one thing on offense.
However now it’s onto Sunday’s essential Recreation 4. It has the potential to be a incredible recreation. — Josh Robbins
Franz Wagner Recreation 3 highlights:
32 PTS 7 REB8 AST2 STL pic.twitter.com/w53hChDH5X
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) April 26, 2025
Celtics flail in opposition to Magic’s defensive depth
Tatum and Brown regarded succesful bodily, however Boston had constant points executing in opposition to the determined Magic protection. The Celtics dedicated nearly each kind of mistake. Brown picked up a number of offensive fouls. Sam Hauser threw away an inbounds cross. Payton Pritchard had his pocket picked earlier than reaching half court docket.
Tatum was known as for an especially uncommon carrying violation. When a White air ball resulted in a shot-clock violation late within the third quarter, the Celtics accomplished their turnover Bingo card. They later dedicated one other shot-clock violation.
Boston ranked second within the league in turnover proportion throughout the common season, however dedicated 11 turnovers within the first half and one other six within the third quarter en path to 19 for the sport. In one other signal that the Magic’s physicality impacted the Celtics, they solely tried 27 3-pointers — 21 fewer 3-point makes an attempt than they averaged throughout the common season and 10 fewer than they took in every of the primary two video games of this collection.
This recreation was not for the weak or timid. The Celtics nonetheless had probabilities late, however might want to do a greater job of dealing with Orlando’s depth. With the nagging accidents piling up, Boston ought to do no matter it might probably to complete this collection rapidly earlier than the Magic’s measurement and physicality take extra of a toll. — Jay King
Bucks 117, Pacers 101
(Indiana leads collection 2-1)
Trent’s huge night time sparks Milwaukee’s comeback
It regarded dire for the Bucks after they got here out of the locker room after halftime. Already trailing 2-0 within the collection, they have been down by 10 factors to open the second half. Within the first half, they’d made simply 4 of their 23 makes an attempt from deep and solely two gamers — Antetokounmpo and Trent — had scored in double digits.
After giving up the primary bucket of the third quarter, the Bucks rattled off a 17-5 run to tie the sport at 64. And so they stored rolling from there to finally put collectively a 39-18 third quarter that gave them an 11-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The turnaround was fueled by Antetokounmpo, who ended the sport with 37 factors, but in addition Trent, who scored a profession playoff-high with 37 factors in his first begin of the collection.
After appreciable struggles within the first two video games of the collection, Doc Rivers advised reporters after Recreation 2 that the crew could be contemplating a change to the lineup heading into Recreation 3. That change was Trent within the beginning lineup, and he delivered top-of-the-line video games of his profession. Trent hit 9 of his 12 3-point makes an attempt, tying Ray Allen for the franchise report for essentially the most 3-pointers in a playoff recreation, and repeatedly hit huge photographs because the Bucks put collectively an unbelievable third-quarter comeback. — Eric Nehm
Pacers didn’t sustain with Bucks’ changes
Beforehand, it was the Pacers who pushed the tempo of the sport in an try and put on the Bucks down, however Friday night time, the Bucks adjusted. Recreation 3 began at a dizzying tempo, but neither crew was capturing properly to start out. However with 5 minutes to play within the first half, the Pacers went on a 19-8 run to take a 57-47 lead into the locker room.
Indiana’s largest lead was 12 within the first half, however it noticed it slip within the third quarter because the Pacers had no reply for the Bucks’ one adjustment: Trent, who began instead of Taurean Prince. Trent was a blistering 9 of 12 from 3-point vary.
Within the first two video games, the Pacers had six gamers in double-digit figures however solely 4 in Recreation 3, which made all of the distinction. Pascal Siakam turned in a stellar efficiency, however Tyrese Haliburton struggled. Haliburton bounced again from a 10-point efficiency in Recreation 1 of the collection with 21 factors in Recreation 2. However in Recreation 3, he solely scored eight within the first half and solely added six extra within the second, ending with 14 factors and 10 assists. — Shakeia Taylor
(Photograph: David Berding / Getty Photos)
