The Minnesota Timberwolves secured their spot in the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive season, after defeating the Golden State Warriors with a score of 121-110. This victory, achieved at home, concluded the series with a resounding 4-1 in favor of the Timberwolves, an unprecedented milestone in the franchise’s history.
Anthony Edwards’ team will now seek a new challenge, after eliminating from the competition a Warriors team that couldn’t keep up the pace after Steph Curry’s injury in the first game of the series.
The match at the Target Center in Minneapolis marked the fourth consecutive victory for the team led by Chris Finch, who now await the winner between the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round.
On the East side, the Indiana Pacers have already secured a place in the conference finals, after eliminating the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now they will face the winner of the series between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics.
Julius Randle led the attack with 29 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Edwards contributed 22 points, seven rebounds, and twelve assists on a team where all starters reached double figures.
Rudy Gobert scored 17 points and eight rebounds, with an excellent eight-of-nine shooting efficiency.
The Warriors failed to extend the series to a sixth game, despite the presence of Steph Curry, who, although he was in Minnesota, could only support his teammates from the bench.
Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 28 points, his playoff high. Jonathan Kuminga contributed 26 points off the bench, and Jimmy Butler added 17.
The Timberwolves seized the opportunity to seal the match with a 9-0 run at the end of the second quarter, which extended their lead to fifteen points (62-47).
By halftime, the Wolves already had three players in double figures: Randle (15), Rudy Gobert (11), and Mike Conley (11), even with Edwards having few shots (6 points).
Minnesota’s advantage increased in the third quarter, reaching 25 points (93-68), which seemed to define the match. However, the Warriors reacted with a 13-2 run, getting within nine points in the final quarter.
Despite the effort, it was already too late to prevent the deletion.
