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  • Appears to hurt shoulder Friday
    Alexander-Walker played through an apparent left shoulder injury before he was ejected with 5:44 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves' 117-90 loss to the Nuggets in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal round, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "Right now, it hurts," Alexander-Walker said of his shoulder. "We'll see what happens [Saturday] when I wake up and everything's settled."

    Advice: Alexander-Walker scored six points (2-5 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and added two assists in 26 minutes off the bench before he and Kyle Anderson were both assessed technical fouls midway through the fourth quarter for arguing with officials. He appeared to hurt his shoulder shortly before the ejection, as he was on the receiving end of a hard screen, and his frustration with the officials stemmed from what he perceived as a missed foul call. The reserve wing's status is now in question for Sunday's Game 4. Rotowire.com 5 minutes ago
     
  • Karl-Anthony Towns hits four 3-pointers, scores 14
    Karl-Anthony Towns accumulated 14 points (4-of-7 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, three assists, and four 3-pointers in 33 minutes in Friday’s Game 3 loss to the Nuggets.

    Advice: The good news for Towns is that he shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. The bad is that he attempted seven shots overall, which is inexcusable for an offensive talent of his caliber. Friday’s game was the first in which KAT failed to reach double figures since Game 2 of Minnesota’s first-round sweep of the Suns. While the Timberwolves could get away with that against Phoenix, the reigning champs are different. Towns needs to be more aggressive in Game 4 on Sunday night, with the Timberwolves still holding a 2-1 series lead. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:43 pm
     
  • Anthony Edwards leads MIN with 19 points in Game 3
    Anthony Edwards shot 8-of-15 from the field in Friday’s 117-90 loss to the Nuggets, scoring 19 points with six rebounds, five assists, one steal, and three 3-pointers in 37 minutes.

    Advice: Faced with the opportunity to deal the reigning champions a decisive blow, Minnesota failed to do so on Friday. Edwards was the only player to reach double digits in shot attempts, which was not the case in either of Minnesota’s two wins in Denver. While he shot the ball well overall, Ant-Man was responsible for five of the Timberwolves’ 14 turnovers in Game 3. Edwards and the Timberwolves will have another opportunity to tighten their grip on the series in Game 4 on Sunday night. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:25 pm
     
  • Michael Porter Jr. hits four 3-pointers in Game 3
    Michael Porter Jr. recorded a line of 21 points (6-of-10 FGs, 5-of-6 FTs), four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and four 3-pointers in 30 minutes in Friday’s Game 3 win over the Timberwolves.

    Advice: After scoring 20 points in Game 1, Porter had a brutal Game 2. He wasn’t the only Nuggets player who needed to redeem himself in Game 3, and MPJ came through with timely perimeter shooting. He’s scored at least 20 points in six of his last seven playoff games, and he finished Game 3 one blocked shot shy of his third straight full stat line. Also shooting the ball well from three for Denver was Aaron Gordon, who was 3-of-4 from deep and finished with 13 points, two rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 33 minutes. Given the amount of attention Minnesota has paid Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, there will be opportunities for Porter and Gordon to flourish. They took advantage on Friday and must do the same in Game 4 on Sunday. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:18 pm
     
  • Strong from deep in 21-point Game 3
    Porter ended with 21 points (6-10 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one steal over 30 minutes in Friday's 117-90 win over the Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Porter provided a nice lift offensively for Denver in its first win of the conference semifinals, leading all Nuggets in threes made while ending as one of three players with 20 or more points in Game 3. Porter had a bounce-back performance after failing to reach double figures in scoring in Game 2, and he has now posted 20 or more points in two of the three games against Minnesota. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 9:17 pm
     
  • Leader from deep in Game 3 loss
    Towns posted 14 points (4-7 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds and three assists over 33 minutes in Friday's 117-90 loss to the Nuggets in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Towns didn't get much going offensively outside of connecting on a team-high mark from three, ending the contest as one of four players with a double-digit point total to go along with a handful of rebounds in a losing effort. Towns failed to reach the 15-point mark for just the second time this postseason, and he had scored at least 20 points in each of the first two games against Denver. Towns may have to come out in Game 4 looking for more opportunities offensively and displaying more aggressiveness if Minnesota wants to take a commanding 3-1 series advantage. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 9:15 pm
     
  • Nears 20 points as top scorer
    Edwards recorded 19 points (8-15 FG, 3-8 3Pt), six rebounds, five assists and one block over 37 minutes in Friday's 117-90 loss to the Nuggets in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Edwards did all he could to help Minnesota climb back into Friday's contest, leading all Timberwolves players in scoring to go along with a half-dozen rebounds and handful of assists in a balanced outing. Edwards tallied his lowest point total of the conference semifinals, taking a bit of a step back after a pair of impressive performances in Denver earlier in the series. Look for Edwards to step up and lead Minnesota in Game 4 as the team attempts to make a statement at home and take a 3-1 lead over Denver. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 9:15 pm
     
  • Alec Burks contributes 14 points in Game 3 loss
    Alec Burks finished Friday’s 111-106 loss to the Pacers with 14 points (4-of-6 FGs, 4-of-5 FTs), four rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block, and two 3-pointers in 21 minutes.

    Advice: That’s right, Alec Burks. After playing for one minute in Game 2, the veteran wing was in the rotation on Friday because the Knicks did not have OG Anunoby (hamstring). Give Burks credit for staying ready, as he made his first four shots from the field and gave New York welcome production off the bench. While the Knicks’ saw their series lead cut in half, getting 24 points from Burks and Miles McBride (10/1/1/1 with two 3-pointers in 29 minutes) is a positive takeaway. New York’s reserves outscored their Pacer counterparts by a 24-14 margin in Game 3, but it wasn’t enough to get the Knicks the win. Burks and McBride will have to offer similar production in Game 4 on Sunday, as Anunoby is unlikely to be available. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:16 pm
     
  • Josh Hart corrals 18 rebounds in Game 3 defeat
    Josh Hart played 43 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Pacers, finishing with 10 points (4-of-7 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), 18 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one 3-pointer.

    Advice: For the first time since Game 6 of the Knicks’ first-round series against Philadelphia, Hart rested. He still played 43 minutes, a surprisingly low number for the indefatigable wing. Hart corralled a playoff career-high 18 rebounds while dishing out four assists, remaining an impactful option on both ends of the floor. With OG Anunoby (hamstring) unavailable, the Knicks may get Hart a few minutes on the bench in the first half of Sunday’s Game 4. As long as Hart’s healthy, he’ll be on the court in crunch time. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:10 pm