Anthony Edwards scores 36 points, Timberwolves beat Suns 126-109 for 3-0 series lead
PHOENIX (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 36 points, Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves used a hot-shooting third quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 126-109 on Friday night and take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series. Minnesota goes for the sweep in Game 4 on Sunday in Phoenix. It was the third straight game the Wolves used a big third to turn a tight game into a comfortable victory. Minnesota hit 7 of 11 3-pointers during the surge, including four from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, to take a 22-point lead into the fourth. Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points while Kevin Durant had 25 and Devin Booker 23.
Luka Doncic and defensive-minded Mavs take a chippy 101-90 win over Clippers for 2-1 series lead
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the suddenly defensive-minded Dallas Mavericks took a chippy 101-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers for a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. The Mavs rode the same defense that gave them home-court advantage with a Game 2 victory in LA. The Mavs won in Dallas three years after losing all three first-round games on their floor in a seven-game series loss to the Clippers. Rookie Dereck Lively II scored all 13 of his points in the first half. James Harden scored 21 points for the Clippers, but fellow stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard had little impact.
Haliburton breaks tie with 3-point play, Pacers beats Bucks 121-118 in OT to take 2-1 series lead
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton completed a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left, capping his first postseason triple-double in his first home playoff game to give the Indiana Pacers a 121-118 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Indiana leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis. Giannis Antetokounmpo again sat out for Milwaukee because of a strained left calf. Haliburton had 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Myles Turner added 29 points and nine rebounds, both playoff career highs. Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton banked in a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds to force overtime and had a chance to force a second overtime, but his 3 bounced off the side of the rim. Middleton finished with a playoff-career high 42 points.
James, Lakers facing elimination Saturday. Magic, Pelicans and Heat seek home wins
There’s a quadrupleheader of playoff games in the NBA on Saturday. Cleveland is at Orlando, Oklahoma City is at New Orleans, Boston is at Miami and then the first possible elimination game of this opening round happens when Denver takes a 3-0 series lead into Los Angeles and tries to sweep the Lakers for a second straight season. The Cavs lead the Magic 2-1, the Thunder lead the Pelicans 2-0 and the Heat-Celtics series is knotted at a game apiece.