Live updates: Anthony Edwards’ 43 points help Wolves beat Lakers 116-113 in Game 4

For the second straight game Sunday, the Lakers and Timberwolves traded blows throughout 48 minutes, one team never pulling too far away from the other. They traded blows down the stretch and exchanged leads in what instantly became one of the most memorable Wolves games of this era, a 116-113 victory at Target Center.

Up 114-113, the Wolves had the ball after a Jaden McDaniels steal with 30.3 seconds to play. Anthony Edwards fell to the ground, and LeBron James hit the ball out of his hands, off Edwards for Lakers ball. The Wolves challenged the play as the arena erupted to say James had fouled Edwards. Officials agreed, sending Edwards to the line with 10.7 seconds to play.

Edwards hit both free throws and Austin Reaves missed at the buzzer. The Wolves lead the series 3-1 behind 43 points from Edwards, 25 from Julius Randle and 16 from McDaniels. Luka Doncic had 28 for the Lakers.

The Wolves couldn’t make much of a dent in the Lakers’ lead early in the fourth quarter as Edwards tried to bring them back. But Edwards scored five straight to pull them within 99-95 with 7:42 to play, and Lakers coach J.J. Redick called timeout.

Doncic was there to keep the Wolves at arm’s length, first with a midrange jumper, then three free throws after Randle fouled him. The Lakers led 104-97 when Finch returned to his closing lineup from Game 3 of Naz Reid-Randle-McDaniels-Edwards-Donte DiVincenzo.

Reid scored five straight points after checking in, and the Wolves cut it to 104-102 with 4:17 to play. Doncic fouled Edwards while he was shooting a three on the next Wolves possession, and Edwards canned all three free throws for a 105-104 Wolves lead.

But Hachimura answered with a three for the Lakers, who took a 107-105 lead. Reid answered that with a three on the other end. DiVincenzo, who struggled to hit at the rim all day, took it hard at the glass for a three-point play and a 111-107 Wolves lead with 2:11 left. Reaves cut it to one with a three of his own. After James blocked another DiVincenzo layup, Dorian Finney-Smith nailed a three for a 113-111 lead. Reid found McDaniels for a layup and a foul on Reaves with 39.5 seconds to play for a 114-113 Wolves lead.

For all the energy they had in the first half, the Wolves came out flat in the second half. They allowed the Lakers to get on the offensive glass for six second-chance points during an 14-0 run to open the third. There was little life in their effort and in the building during those first few minutes. After Mike Conley appeared to get hurt, at least momentarily, while blocking a shot on James, the Wolves found life again. They responded with the next nine points and cut the Lakers lead to two.

But the Lakers were rolling on offense for much of the quarter. Hachimura made them pay when they doubled Doncic, and Doncic was hitting when he had the opportunity. Hachimura was up to 20 by the end of the quarter while Doncic was up to 31. James only had five in the quarter.

Gobert committed a flagrant foul on James late in the quarter, and while arguing with officials, Finch got hit with a technical foul. The Wolves trailed 94-84 after three.

The Wolves offense in the opening minute revolved around Randle, who had their first seven points of the night. James picked up where he left off from Game 3 with five early points while Rui Hachimura also had five, and the Lakers had an early 12-10 lead at the first timeout. The Wolves opened 3-for-10 from the floor. Their frontcourt got into foul trouble in the first quarter as both Rudy Gobert and Reid picked up two fouls, and the Wolves fell behind 22-16. This prompted Finch go with his ninth man in this series off the bench, Terrence Shannon Jr.

The Wolves couldn’t slow either James or Doncic down in the early going. James finished the quarter with nine while Doncic had 13.

The Wolves had a late run to end the quarter that started when Nickeil Alexander-Walker hustled back to force a Doncic miss on a layup. The Wolves closed with the last six points, all from Edward, and were down 32-28.

The Wolves weren’t lacking for effort and hustle in the opening minutes — they had 12 offensive rebounds — but they were lacking for buckets. The Wolves opened the night shooting 12 for their first 35 (34%). But the heated up later in the second.

During the second quarter Finch opted for a triple-big lineup of Randle, Reid and Gobert as the Wolves hung within a few possessions of the Lakers. The Wolves were missing from deep and around the rim, as they opened the night 7-for-21 in the paint.

Edwards had a quiet second quarter until later in the period, when he started attacking the rim and finding open teammates, but the Wolves couldn’t slow Doncic and James in the first half. They accounted for 43 of the Lakers’ 58 points.

There was a concerning moment for the Wolves with 1:28 remaining in the quarter when James and Edwads were chasing a loose ball. Edwards’ left ankle appeared to get twisted and he was on the ground for a few moments. But he stayed in the game. After Edwards’ free throws, the Wolves took a 56-55 lead. It was their first lead since 5-2. Randle capped the half with a three for 21 points in the first half while Edwards had 19.