Live updates replay: Timberwolves go up 3-1 after 117-110 win over Warriors in Game 4 of Western Conference semifinals

SAN FRANCISCO – Even though the Wolves had won Games 2 and 3, it rarely felt over those two games like they reached their peak potential in this series against the Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors.

They did that in the third quarter of Game 4 Monday, and that carried the Wolves to a 117-110 victory over the Warriors for a 3-1 series lead. They can close the series out and advance to their second consecutive Western Conference finals with a victory Wednesday at Target Center. Curry is likely to miss that game because of his left hamstring strain.

Trailing 60-58 at the half, the Wolves and Anthony Edwards found that gear they needed to push the Warriors to the brink of elimination. Everything clicked. Edwards was on fire, and their defense, which had been suspect in the first half, was back to its old self. Edwards had 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting in the third quarter while the Wolves defense held Golden State to 7-for-19 shooting, 0-for-6 from three-point range. Edwards finished with 30 points and five assists. The Wolves won the third 39-17, the highest point differential of any quarter in franchise history. They were able to cruise to the finish despite Edwards falling into uncharacteristic foul trouble late in the third quarter and early in the fourth. The Wolves got sloppy in the fourth quarter and committed 12 turnovers.

Julius Randle provided the offense early as the Wolves withstood a solid opening 24 minutes from Golden State, which got 23 points from Jonathan Kuminga in the game. Randle finished with a team-high 31.

The Wolves also got an important contribution from Jaden McDaniels (10 points, 13 rebounds), whose activity on both ends of the floor helped the Wolves overcome Edwards’ foul trouble. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting.

The Wolves withstood a burst from the Warriors in the opening six minutes thanks to the three-point shot. While they opened 2-for-9 from inside the arc, they were 3-for-4 beyond it and they led 14-12 as Steve Kerr called timeout with 5:37 left in the first quarter. The Warriors opened 5-0, but Randle helped calm the Wolves with five consecutive points.

Randle finished with 10 in the quarter. Draymond Green, who struggled before fouling out of Game 3, hit a pair of threes for Golden State in the first.

As he has throughout the series, Kuminga came off the bench for Golden State and had an immediate impact with eight points. The Warriors shot 50% in the first quarter and led 28-27 after one.

The second quarter opened with a frenetic pace on both ends. The Wolves went on an 11-0 run that featured threes from Reid, Alexander-Walker and Randle before Golden State answered with a 7-0 run to make the score 38-37 Wolves. Then Randle had four points, including a shot-clock buzzer-beating prayer, before McDaniels got a layup in transition for six straight Wolves points. The Wolves led 44-37 as Kerr called timeout with 7:26 to play.

BOXSCORE: Wolves 117, Warriors 110

The Warriors flipped to a zone defense, and that slowed the Wolves offense to just two field goals over the next 6:22. The Warriors led 56-52 before Edwards hit a three with just over a minute left in the half, then another before the buzzer as the Wolves trailed 60-58 entering the half.

The Wolves didn’t do a good job cleaning up the glass, as the Warriors had 10 second-chance points. Naz Reid and McDaniels each ended the half with three fouls. Kuminga was up to 16 points by the end of the half. Randle had 19 for the Wolves, Edwards 14.

That three at the end of the half was just the beginning for Edwards, who came out on fire in the third quarter. Edwards scored 14 points in the first 6:30 of the third quarter. He was 3-for-4 from three-point land in that stretch as he pushed the Wolves’ lead to 80-68, largest of the night to that point. The Wolves stretched that to as many as 17 before Edwards picked up his fourth foul and Finch subbed him out. Edwards didn’t want to come out, but he made his way to the bench with his point total up to 30 before the end of the third.

The Wolves had no problem closing the quarter without him. Alexander-Walker had a nice stretch running the offense with four points and two assists, and Randle brought his point total up to 26 for the night, as the Wolves led 97-77 entering the fourth. The Wolves held the Warriors to just 17 points in the third. Golden State was 7-for-19 from the floor.