The Los Angeles Lakers held an eight-point lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves with just over five minutes remaining on Sunday afternoon. But after a remarkable fourth-quarter performance by Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves rallied to pull off a 116–113 comeback win, taking a commanding 3–1 series lead.
Now, with their backs against the wall, the Lakers must win three straight games to keep their season alive—and if Edwards continues playing at this level, that will be an incredibly tall task.
Now, with their backs against the wall, the Lakers must win three straight games to keep their season alive—and if Edwards continues playing at this level, that will be an incredibly tall task.
Edwards finished with a game-high 43 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, shooting 12-of-23 from the field, 14-of-17 from the free-throw line, and 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. Sixteen of his 43 points came in the fourth quarter alone.
Following his dominant showing, Edwards received a strong message from Lakers legend and Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, who tipped his cap to the former No. 1 overall pick.
“Just a brilliant performance and masterful 43 points by Anthony Edwards tonight in the Timberwolves win over the Lakers,” Johnson posted. “As the old saying goes, live by the jump shot, die by the jump shot.”
While Magic sent plenty of praise Edwards’ way—acknowledging that he simply couldn’t be stopped—his loyalty to the Lakers took a hit, as his original prediction of L.A. winning the series now looks increasingly unlikely.
“I’m just sick to my stomach that the Lakers lost this game after being in control most of the 2nd half,” Johnson added. “I dont know if it smart to play LeBron and Luka the entire second half after only having one day of rest between Games 3 and 4. When we needed LeBron to take over in the fourth quarter he couldn’t – he scored 0 points in the fourth.”
Now, the two teams are set to face off again in Los Angeles on Wednesday, with the Lakers fighting to extend the series to a Game 6, while the Timberwolves look to close it out in five.
