Just as they were in Game 3, the Golden State Warriors were right with the Minnesota Timberwolves early in the third-quarter despite playing without injured 2x MVP Stephen Curry.
A huge first-half from Jonathan Kuminga had given the Warriors a two-point half-time lead, yet a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Anthony Edwards was an ominous sign of things to come. The Timberwolves blew the game open with a devastating 17-0 run in five minutes during the third-quarter, leaving Golden State's season on the brink at 3-1 down in the second-round series.
After the game was tied at 68, Edwards had 11 of his team's 17-straight points in a stunning display of shot-making. With Curry sitting on the sidelines and Jimmy Butler disappointingly quiet, the Warriors had no answer in what resulted as a 117-110 defeat.
The Timberwolves have taken a commanding series lead
Edwards dealt with foul trouble over the final 15 minutes of the game, but the damage had already been done as the hosts were unable to rally and truly threaten in the fourth-quarter.
With Curry and previously Klay Thompson, Golden State have so often been the team dishing out the punishment from the 3-point line. This was their time to play the victim, with Minnesota going 16-of-34 (47.1%) from beyond the arc in contrast to the Warriors who went 8-of-27 (29.6%).
As the Warrior season appears to fade into darkness, Kuminga continues to be a ray of light in another impressive performance following his 30-point performance in Game 3. The former seventh overall pick had a team-high 23 points and went 11-of-12 from the free-throw line in 30 minutes off the bench, with Kuminga continuing to up his value as he prepares for restricted free agency in the offseason.
Naz Reid and Jonathan Kuminga having some fun 😅 pic.twitter.com/ljahnWb2G7
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 13, 2025
Butler, on the other hand, failed to deliver after his 33-point showing on Saturday. The 6x All-Star was frustratingly passive again, taking just nine shots, posting 14 points and finishing as a game-worst -30 in a completely stark contrast to what Edwards was doing on the other end.
Any hope of a scoring lift from Brandin Podziemski was also not forthcoming, with the second-year guard going for only 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting. Draymond Green and Buddy Hield also reached double-figures scoring, but combined to shoot just 10-of-25 from the floor as Golden State shot 43.5% as a team.
After going for 36 points in Game 3, Edwards finished with 30 points in 33 minutes on 11-of-21 shooting from the floor and 6-of-11 from 3-point range. Julius Randle also added 31 for the Timberwolves as he continues his impressive playoff campaign.
The Warriors will now head back to Minnesota in desperate trouble, with Curry to be re-evaluated on Wednesday but still highly unlikely to miss Game 5 due to his hamstring injury.