NBA Playoffs: Wolves take the lead in the absence of Curry, Celtics find shooting touch

Saturday night's NBA Playoff Conference Semifinals delivered pivotal Game 3s that saw shifts in momentum in both the Western and Eastern Conference matchups.

(1) Golden State Warriors-Minnesota Timberwolves (2): 97-102

In San Francisco, the Minnesota Timberwolves battled through a tight contest to defeat the Golden State Warriors 102-97, securing a 2-1 series lead. The Warriors continued to play without their injured star guard, Stephen Curry, whose hamstring strain from Game 1 means his absence remains sorely felt. Golden State struggled mightily on offense, failing to make a single 3-pointer in the first half and scoring below 100 points for the third consecutive game. While both teams' offenses sputtered early, the Timberwolves found their rhythm in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Warriors 33-24 to take control.

Anthony Edwards was the catalyst for Minnesota's late surge, scoring 13 of his game-high 36 points in the final frame. He overcame a slow start to dominate the second half with his dynamic play, including a crucial late corner three to help ice the game. Julius Randle also delivered a strong performance for the Wolves, recording his 15th career triple-double with 24 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Despite valiant efforts from the Warriors' Jimmy Butler (33 points) and Jonathan Kuminga (30 points, his most impactful big-moment game), they couldn't generate enough offense without Curry and were hindered by Draymond Green fouling out in a low-impact 29 minutes. The Timberwolves are now in a position to potentially prevent Curry from returning to the series if they can win Game 4 on Monday in San Francisco, the clock is ticking on Golden State's season.

(2) New York Knicks-Boston Celtics (1): 93-115

In New York, the Boston Celtics picked up their much-needed first win of the series, dominating the New York Knicks 115-93. After dropping the first two games at home, the Celtics found some life and found its identity in Game 3, never trailing and leading by as many as 31 points. The key to their success was a significant improvement in shooting, particularly from beyond the arc, where they hit 50% (20 of 40) for the game, starting with a hot 6 of 7 in the first quarter. Payton Pritchard led all scorers with a playoff career-high 23 points.

Jayson Tatum (22 points, 5 of 8 from three) and Jaylen Brown (19 points) were also integral to the Celtics' all-around team effort. Celtics exploited the Knicks' inconsistent pick-and-roll resistance and also benefited from tactical adjustments by coach Joe Mazzulla. For the Knicks, after mounting consecutive 20-point comebacks in Games 1 and 2, they were unable to repeat the feat in Game 3. Their defense wasn’t nearly as sharp struggling to contain Celtics shooters and defend pick-and-rolls.

Their offense continues to stall out, compounded by poor three-point (2 of 17 in the first three quarters) and free-throw shooting. Knicks need to find ways to generate better offense with more regularity. Despite the dominant loss, the Knicks still lead the series 2-1 heading into Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Monday, where the Celtics will aim to tie the series.