Towns, Wolves grind out Game 4 win vs. Mavs to avoid sweep

DALLAS — After Karl-Anthony Cities busted out of his taking pictures stoop to attain 25 factors within the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 105-100 Recreation 4 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, Anthony Edwards had yet another help for the All-Star large man throughout their shared postgame information convention.

Intercepting a query during which Cities was requested to clarify what modified — coming off a disastrous Recreation 3 that induced his coach, Chris Finch, to confess it was “onerous to look at” — Edwards answered for Cities.

“The whole lot got here collectively for him; he was tremendous assured,” Edwards stated. “He performed exceptionally nicely, and he got here by way of big-time. He was the rationale we received tonight.”

Cities shot 9-for-13 from the sphere and 4-for-5 on 3-pointers, scoring 10 factors within the fourth quarter to assist the Timberwolves lastly exorcise their late-game demons after folding down the stretch by way of their 0-3 begin to the Western Convention finals.

He got here into the night time taking pictures 15-for-54 for the collection (27.8%), together with a 3-for-23 mark from 3-point territory (13%).

“It is Recreation 4, down 3-0, ain’t no time to have any doubts,” Cities stated. “Go on the market and be aggressive, shoot my shot like I have been doing all collection, being assured in each shot I shoot.”

Finch, who benched Cities for practically the final 9 minutes of Recreation 2, trusted his large man to play within the fourth quarter Tuesday with 5 fouls — subbing him in for Naz Reid with 9:25 remaining and letting Cities play many of the remainder of the best way, till he fouled out with 1:38 remaining.

“KAT’s an ideal participant,” Finch stated. “His struggles weren’t going to final endlessly. He acquired himself going. Even when he acquired deep in foul hassle, we left him on the market. … Simply let him roll, and he performed sensible, performed below management, rebounded rather well for us, executed defensively. Actually pleased with him.

“Tonight was an ideal step for him.”

Dallas guard Kyrie Irving suffered the primary loss in a closeout state of affairs of his profession, dropping to 14-1 in such eventualities largely due to Cities.

“That is what nice gamers do,” Irving stated of Cities. “They determine it out.”

The Timberwolves hope to maintain determining the Mavericks to change into the primary workforce in NBA historical past to win 4 straight and seize a collection after dropping the primary three video games. Recreation 5 is ready for Thursday in Minneapolis.

To that finish, Edwards had one critique for Cities, realizing how necessary it is going to be for him to remain on the court docket because the convention finals proceed, particularly if Mavericks rookie heart Dereck Energetic II can return from the neck sprain that sidelined him for Recreation 4.

“What did I let you know about fouling?” Edwards stated, taking pictures Cities an exaggerated glare as they shared the postgame dais.

Edwards then turned his consideration towards the reporters sitting in entrance of him: “I will beat him up on the bus.”

Edwards’ wit wasn’t the one factor the taking pictures guard placed on show Tuesday. He additionally performed his greatest sport of the collection, scoring 29 factors on 11-for-25 taking pictures with 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 6 turnovers.

Whereas Edwards was more than pleased to reward Cities, Mike Conley (14 factors, 7 assists, 4 steals, 0 turnovers) and Kyle Anderson (2 factors, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals in 25 minutes off the bench) for his or her contributions, Edwards’ pull-up bounce shot with 39.7 seconds left supplied the dagger, placing the Timberwolves up 5 after an Irving layup had simply made it a one-possession sport.

“I used to be on the bench and had a front-row seat watching that once I fouled out,” Cities stated of Edwards’ game-sealing shot. “I really feel like he was visualizing that make and he acquired to precisely the spot he needed to.

“I am honored to be taking part in with my brother right here, seeing him day by day put the work in, and I knew when he acquired to that shot it was a excessive probability he was going to make that.”

Should you listened to Edwards as he bantered with the Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons on the finish of the night time, there is a excessive probability this collection is simply getting began.

When Edwards handed by the star linebacker in one of many again hallways at American Airways Heart and noticed Parsons carrying a pair of Edwards’ signature sneakers, he made positive to seek out out what measurement Parsons wears then made a assure just like his declaration to a Ball Enviornment locker room attendant throughout Minnesota’s second-round collection in opposition to the Denver Nuggets.

“I will deliver him again some good sneakers for Recreation 6,” Edwards stated. “That is what I advised him.”

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.