MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Timberwolves are set for a late tipoff Wednesday night as they head to Los Angeles looking to close out their first-round playoff series against the Lakers.
Wolves-Lakers: How to watch
What we know:
The Wolves and Lakers are set to tipoff Wednesday night at 9 p.m. CT at the Crypto.com Arena.
The game will be shown locally in Minnesota on the FanDuel Sports Network North. Nationally, the game will be shown on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max.
Refs reverse crucial Game 4 call
The backstory:
The Wolves were able to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series on Sunday afternoon at home in Minneapolis. But, a missed foul call late in the fourth quarter put the game in jeopardy for the Wolves, who were only up one point.
With just 11 seconds on the clock, LeBron James swiped at the ball in Anthony Edwards’ hands underneath the basket, sending the ball out of bounds. The referees initially ruled it Lakers ball, but the call was reversed on a coach’s challenge by Minnesota.
Upon review, an overhead angle clearly showed James hitting Edwards’ wrists on the strip. The officials ruled the play a foul, giving Edwards two shots at the line. Edwards made both shots, capping off a 43-point game for him, putting the Wolves up 116-113.
What’s next:
The Wolves only need one more win to clinch the best-of-seven series. If they aren’t able to earn it on Wednesday in Los Angeles, the series will return to Minneapolis for Game 6 on Friday at the Target Center. If necessary, Game 7 will be in Los Angeles on Sunday.
According to the NBA, teams up 3-1 in a playoff series win 95% of the time. But, it’s worth noting LeBron James is responsible for one of the greatest 3-1 comebacks in NBA history. He led the Cleveland Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit during the 2016 NBA Finals over the Golden State Warriors.
If the Wolves win their series, they will likely face the Golden State Warriors in the second round. The Warriors took a 3-1 lead over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
The Source: This story uses information from the NBA schedule.
Minnesota TimberwolvesMinnesotaSports
