Timberwolves overpower Warriors to level series
LOS ANGELES: The Minnesota Timberwolves exploited the injury absence of Stephen Curry to defeat the Golden State Warriors 117-93 and level their NBA Western Conference semifinal series on Thursday. A fired-up Timberwolves line-up, who had been stunned by the Warriors in game one on Tuesday, were always in control as they powered to a wire-to-wire victory in Minneapolis that squares the series at 1-1. Julius Randle led the scoring for Minnesota with 24 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds while Anthony Edwards finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added an eye-catching 20 points off the bench, including four three-pointers, on a night when five Timberwolves players finished in double figures. Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors scoring with 18 points from the bench, Jimmy Butler finishing with 17. Edwards said an improved defensive effort led to Minnesota’s win after a dismal offensive display in their game one loss. “We watched film yesterday and we saw it wasn’t just that we didn’t make our shots — it was more so our defensive effort and intensity.
