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Ant Edwards elevated his performance in the closing moments, teaming up with Jaden McDaniels for a crucial three-pointer that secured a 2-1 series lead for the Timberwolves.
**5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀 April 26, 2025**
– **Clutch Ant:** Edwards excels in the final moments as the Wolves bounce back from LeBron’s 38 points to take a 2-1 series lead.
– **Double 37s:** Giannis dominates inside while Trent Jr. dazzles from beyond the arc, leading the Bucks to victory in Game 3.
– **Magic Trio:** The impressive play of Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and strong defense propelled Orlando to a win.
– **West Showdowns:** Anticipation builds for Dubs-Rockets Game 3 and Nuggets-Clippers Game 4.
– **No. 1s In Play:** The Thunder aim for a sweep in Memphis, while the Cavs look to grab a 3-0 lead in Miami.
**BUT FIRST … ⏰ Yesterday’s scores & what’s on tap for today…**
Saturday features a thrilling playoff schedule from day to night, starting with a TNT triple-header. The action kicks off in Miami with Game 3 between the Cavs and Heat (1 PM ET, TNT), followed by Game 4 of the Thunder-Grizzlies in Memphis (3:30 PM ET, TNT), where OKC staged a memorable comeback in Game 3.
The evening will showcase two vital Western Conference matchups, starting with Game 4 of the Nuggets against the Clippers (6 PM ET, TNT) and wrapping up with the critical Game 3 between the Rockets and Warriors (8:30 PM ET, ABC).
**Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104:** The score was tied for the fifth and final time with 4:37 remaining after a fadeaway jumper from Luka Dončić brought the score to 103. The Wolves then finished strong, going on a 13-1 run to maintain home advantage and claim a 2-1 series lead. |Recap| 5 Key Takeaways
**The Ant-Man Takeover:** Edwards was instrumental, either scoring or assisting on every point during the pivotal stretch, including a standout defensive play.
**The Icing:** Edwards concluded the game by driving to the basket and kicking out to a wide-open McDaniels, who nailed a corner three-pointer, granting the Wolves their first double-digit lead of the game at 12 points.
**The X-Factor:** The Timberwolves have secured two victories in this series with McDaniels as the leading scorer in both games, despite finishing the regular season ranked fourth on the team with an average of 12.2 points.
**The History Book:** LeBron’s 38-point outburst on Friday made him the highest-scoring player in playoff history at the age of 40.
Facing a 2-0 deficit and needing a win at home, the Bucks turned to Trent Jr. in the starting lineup, who, alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, put on an impressive performance.
**Bucks 117, Pacers 101:** Giannis delivered an all-around game (37 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, shooting 14-of-19) while Trent Jr. was on fire from the perimeter (37 points, 9 threes, 4 steals), collectively scoring 74 points to cut their series gap to 2-1. |Recap
**Trent Jr. on Matching Allen’s Record:** “To have my name associated with a shooter like him is incredibly meaningful to me. It’s a blessing and a reflection of my dedication.”
**3. THE MAGIC’S STAR DUO AND SOLID DEFENSE PREVAIL AGAINST THE CELTICS:** After falling 2-0 in the series and holding a 12-point advantage with seven minutes left, the Magic faced a fierce rally from the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, seeking a commanding 3-0 series lead.
**Magic 95, Celtics 93:** The Magic maintained their composure, following the lead of their stars, Franz Wagner (32 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) and Paolo Banchero (29 points, 6 rebounds), who together accounted for 61 points. Meanwhile, Orlando’s defense limited Boston to their third-lowest scoring total of the season. |Recap
Wagner and Banchero scored 18 of Orlando’s 22 points in the fourth quarter to fend off Boston.
Both players have now recorded back-to-back games with over 25 points, a feat only previously achieved by Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway during the 1995 playoffs.
Jayson Tatum (36 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists) was listed as doubtful before the game but performed well, leading all scorers and surpassing John Havlicek for the second-most playoff games scoring 30+ points in Celtics history.
**What’s Next:** With a 2-1 series deficit, the Magic will host Game 4 on Sunday (7 PM ET, TNT), aiming to level the series at 2-2 before it returns to Boston for Game 5.
Jalen Green stepped up in a big way on Wednesday, dramatically increasing his output from Game 1 to help the Rockets tie the series at 1-1 ahead of tonight’s Game 3 (8:30 PM ET, ABC) against the Warriors.
With Alperen Sengun contributing a game-high 16 rebounds, Green finished the night with 38 points on 13-of-25 shooting, marking a significant moment for both teams in the series.
The Warriors may be without Jimmy Butler III, who is currently listed as questionable due to a pelvic injury.
On the other hand, Stephen Curry is poised to return for Game 3 at the Chase Center, where he has consistently performed well, averaging 27.0 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.8 rebounds across 26 Game 3s in his illustrious 16-year career.
As the Nuggets and Clippers prepare for Game 4 (6 PM ET, TNT), LA leads the series 2-1 after a dominant performance in Game 3, where scoring contributions came from multiple players, providing a spread-out attack that overwhelmed Denver’s defense in a 34-point victory.
**Double-Digit Dynamo:** Nikola Jokić starred for Denver, notching 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists, and was just one rebound shy of a triple-double in every game of this series.
The first two matches featured a staggering 29 lead changes, with outcomes determined by margins of three points or less. However, the series dynamic shifted significantly in Game 3 at the Intuit Dome.
Today, the Thunder aim for a 4-0 sweep in Memphis (1 PM ET, TNT), while the Cavs look to establish a commanding 3-0 series lead in Miami (3:30 PM ET, TNT).
**How did we arrive here?** Two notably different yet impactful fourth-quarter performances have marked the series.
In Game 2, Donovan Mitchell solidified his clutch reputation by scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Cavs to a 121-112 victory over Miami. This marked the sixth instance of Mitchell scoring 17 or more points in a fourth quarter during his playoff career, the most of any player in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98). Three of those performances occurred during his memorable face-off with Jamal Murray in the 2020 first round against Denver.
Take a look at how Mitchell secured his points on Saturday:
Alex Caruso made his presence felt in the fourth quarter during OKC’s comeback victory in Memphis without contributing on offense.
Caruso was pivotal, recording three significant steals, contesting Jaren Jackson Jr., and generally causing chaos as the Thunder achieved the second-largest playoff comeback in the last 25 years.
“He influences every game he’s part of,” remarked Coach Mark Daigneault. “His engagement level is constant, and the stage or pressure of the game doesn’t affect him at all.”
**Getting it Done:** Caruso played 23 minutes on Thursday, his most in the playoffs since the 2020 Finals, and finished with a +19 rating in his 13 minutes during the second half—leading OKC’s bench performance.
Caruso has been a defensive powerhouse throughout his NBA journey. Across 34 playoff appearances, he has a cumulative plus-minus of +111, along with 36 steals to his name.
