CNN
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The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Golden State Warriors 121-110 to finish their 4-1 series victory, reaching their second straight Western Conference final.
The Warriors were injured star guard Steph Curry, who has not played since suffering hamstring tension in the second quarter of Game 1.
However, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr did not use Curry’s absence as an excuse for the team’s postseason exit, claiming “the injury is part of the playoffs.”
“There’s no point in living in it,” he added. “I don’t want to take anything from what Minnesota has accomplished. It’s pointless to even talk about Steph.”
Julius Randle, who quickly earned “Playoff Julius” on social media, scored 29 points in a 18-13 shooting, with 29 points with eight rebounds and five assists.
Randle joined the Timberwolves before the season, sending the town of Karl Anthony to the New York Knicks, enduring a share of teething pain during his first season in Minnesota.
However, the three All Star averages nearly 24 points per game in the playoffs, and has so far scored at least 20 points in eight of the Timberwolves’ 10 postseason games.
“How he creates for others and influences him in the game,” Minnesota star guard Anthony Edwards said when asked what stands out about Randle’s performance.
“The way he controls the tempo, the way he pushes the pace, the way he takes us with him when he pushes the pace and then his defense, his defense has gone on another level.
“The way he communicates with us, attention to detail. Everyone, it’s incredible. It’s incredible to be his teammate. He brings it every night.
Edwards finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists and three blocks. Rudy Gobert added 17 points and missed only one of his nine shots, Mike Conley had 16, Jaden McDaniels had 14, and Donte Divincenzo had 13 points off the bench.
Minnesota led up to 25 points in the third quarter, holding back the late Warriors run, which closed the gap to the fourth nine.
Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with a playoff career-high 28 points, while Jonathan Kuminga added 26 from the bench.
Jimmy Butler had another disappointing night, scoring just 17 points with 11 shootings.
Butler won the “Playoff Jimmy” nickname for his monumental effort to drag the Miami Heat into the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023, but did not approach that level this postseason.
The sixth-inning All-Star suffered a pelvic injury after a rough fall in the Warriors’ first-round victory match 2 against the Houston Rockets, but he insisted it was “enough to compete.”
After losing five games to the Dallas Mavericks in last season’s Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves will face the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets this time.
OKC and Denver will play Game 6 on Thursday night, with the Thunder holding the 3-2 series lead.
The defending champions, the Boston Celtics, avoided playoff elimination in a 127-102 home victory against the New York Knicks, taking the series to Game 6.
In Boston’s first match without the injured Jason Tatum, Derrick White didn’t have a 34-point game, including 7-13 from the 3-point range, as Achilles achieved a successful ruptured operation.
It was a game before and after the 11th lead changed, before the Celtics were pulled away midway through the third quarter.
Josh Hart scored 24 points for the Knicks, while Jalen Branson added 22 points.
Game 6 will be at Madison Square Garden on Friday.