Timberwolves vs Lakers G5 Preview: The Eastern Emperor Combo Goal Pulls Back a City, Edwards Breaks Out Again?

At 10 a.m. Beijing time on May 1, the Lakers played against the Timberwolves at home, and the Purple and Gold Army, which fell behind with a total score of 1-3, strive to win at home to continue this round of the series.

In the G4 game, the scrappy Timberwolves showed great strength. They used a 32-19 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter to beat the Lakers 116-113 to secure a 3-1 overall match point. In the final 12 minutes of the game, Edwards showed his star and scored 16 of the game-high 43 points of the series and the series. Throughout the fourth quarter, he hit three of five three-point attempts. The Timberwolves' form continues to pick up, and Edwards' outstanding play is the epitome of the team's recovery.

Counting the playoffs, the Timberwolves have gone 20-5 since Randle's return from a groin injury on March 3. In the offseason, after Randle joined, the team's roster was reorganized, and the chemistry was once questioned, but now it has been twisted into a rope.

The Lakers had the advantage in this game: they led by 12 points in the third quarter and still had a 10-point lead with 11:25 left in the game. But as the game entered the final period, Edwards hit all three free throws with 3:47 left to give the Timberwolves a 105-104 lead. Since then, the Timberwolves haven't let the lead slip away.

"We never panic," Timberwolves head coach Finch said, "and that's one of the hallmarks of the team in the second half of the season...... The players always believed that they could pull off the comeback. In this game, Edwards contributed 9 rebounds and 6 assists in addition to 43 points; Randle scored 25 points; McDaniels had 16 points and 11 rebounds.

As McDaniels put it, "We have to stick together." As long as we are united, we can reverse the big difference. ”

The Lakers have been a hot topic this season — James is playing with his son Bronny, Davis is leaving unexpectedly, and Doncic is on the line. Today, however, they stand on the brink of being eliminated. Only by winning three games in a row can the Lakers' season continue.

At the beginning of Doncic's arrival, the Lakers seemed to be planning for the future, preferring to sacrifice defense and keep the superstar in charge after James retired. However, under the leadership of coach Redick, the Lakers and Doncic quickly developed a winning pattern.

Now, after losing G4, they have to find their winning rhythm again. In the second half of that game, Redick let five players play the last 24 minutes, and many media believed that the Lakers lost because they were exhausted and could not save the defeat.

Doncic was in a slump in Game 3 due to gastrointestinal discomfort, and rebounded strongly in Game 4, scoring 38 points. James contributed 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, and after the game, he calmly accepted defeat: "I don't think it's a physical problem, it's just that some shots that are close at hand didn't go in. We played the tactical combination we wanted, but we couldn't convert our chances into goals. ”

Throughout the game, the Lakers' 45 percent shooting percentage was higher than the Timberwolves' 42.2 percent. But in the fourth quarter, Edwards went all out on both ends of the floor, and the Lakers' shooting percentage plummeted to 27.8 percent, while the Timberwolves reached 45.5 percent.

"Obviously, we're not going to try to win three games in a row and just focus on the next game," James said, "and the most important thing at the moment is to win the fifth game because losing it means the end of the season." It's all about the performance in this game and that's the key. ”

List of injuries and illnesses

Timberwolves: Dillingham is out

Lakers: Kleber is doubtful

ESPN predicts the win rate: Timberwolves 38.7%, Lakers 61.3%