Edwards leads Wolves to push Lakers toward elimination

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves have found a new gear after a regular season of fits and starts.

Jaden McDaniels converted a three-point play with 39.5 seconds left for the lead, and stole the ensuing inbounds pass from LeBron James, leading a rally by the Timberwolves for a 116-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that put Minnesota up 3-1 in the first-round series on Sunday.

Anthony Edwards, who had 43 points to lead Minnesota in scoring for the first time in this year's playoffs, drew a foul off James during a drive to the lane with 10 seconds left and hit both free throws.

With Luka Doncic and James well-defended along the arc, the ball went to Austin Reaves in the corner for the tying attempt that rimmed out.

Julius Randle added 25 points and McDaniels had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Wolves, which trailed by 12 late in the third quarter.

"It's been a hallmark of this team in the second half of the season: There's been no panic," said Wolves coach Chris Finch.

Doncic bounced back from a stomach bug to put up 38 points on 13-for-28 shooting, but the Lakers still head home for a win-or-be-eliminated Game 5 on Wednesday.

"It's going to be even harder to get the next one, so we're going to have to fight through a lot," Randle said, "but, like we've done all year, we've got to rely on each other, play for one another, and we genuinely feel like, if we do that, we give ourselves the best chance to win."

Doncic, after fighting the illness and finishing with only 17 points in Game 3, was clearly feeling better after a full day of rest.

But, he went one for six in the fourth quarter from the floor.

James had 27 points and 12 rebounds for his 144th career double-double in the playoffs, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain for the third-most in history behind Tim Duncan (164) and Magic Johnson (157).James went 15 for 18 from the free-throw line, determined to get to the rim in what was the best game by the Lakers offense in the series, but he was scoreless in the fourth.

Reaves and Dorian Finney-Smith hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Lakers back in front with 1:29 left, but the Wolves took it from there.

With the arena quiet as fans filed back into their seats from the break, the Lakers started the third quarter with a 14-0 run.

Reaves, who went scoreless in the first half while in foul trouble, got hot. Rui Hachimura did, too, and coach J.J. Redick rode with the same lineup for the entire quarter.

But, for the second straight game, the home team dominated down the stretch to continue a timely reversal of its regular season trend.

The Wolves have outscored the Lakers in the fourth quarter of every game by a total of 105-69.

"We haven't lost anything yet," Doncic said.

"It's still the first one to four wins, and we've just got to still believe."

New York's late rally

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, after injuring his ankle, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 27 to lead the visiting New York Knicks to a 94-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Josh Hart added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, which claimed a 3-1 series lead and can close out the best-of-seven series Tuesday in New York.

"Playoff wins are tough," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

"It's hard to get them. We didn't have much going our way to start the fourth, and dug down and found a way to win.

"In the end, a lot of tough plays, guys stepping up, KAT (Towns) hitting the big shots, Jalen's big shots, Mikal's (Bridges) defense, OG's (Anunoby) defense, Josh's (Hart) hustle plays, the rebounds, we needed everybody and to just find a way to win — that's the bottom line."

The Knicks took a 94-93 lead on Towns' 3-pointer with 47 seconds to go. Detroit's Tim Hardaway Jr appeared to be fouled on his missed 3-point attempt as time expired, drawing the ire of Pistons coach J.B.Bickerstaff and the home crowd. No call was made on Hart for banging shoulders with Hardaway.

"You go back and look at the film," Bickerstaff said. "The guy leaves his feet. There's contact on Tim Hardaway's jump shot. I don't know any other way around it. There's contact on his jump shot. The guy leaves his feet. He's at Timmy's mercy. And I repeat, there's contact on his jump shot."

Crew chief David Guthrie later told a pool reporter that the officials missed the call.

"During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play," Guthrie said.

"After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr, and a foul should have been called."

Cade Cunningham led the way with 25 points, and Tobias Harris added 18 for Detroit, which tied an NBA record with its ninth straight postseason loss at home. The Philadelphia 76ers set the mark from 1968-71. The Pistons have not won a home playoff game since May 2008.

Agencies via Xinhua