Home Teams Rule the Day
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 26 Apr 2025
All three home squads won today with West #6 Minnesota Timberwolves getting the series lead 2-1 over the third seed Los Angeles Lakers in a pulling away win 116-104 from a tight contest.
Meanwhile East #7 Orlando Magic with Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero combined forces to finally get a win over second seed and defending champion Boston Celtics, 95-93 and #5 Milwaukee Bucks also emerging victorious over #4 Indiana Pacers, 117-101 after two losses in Indianapolis.
T-Wolves star Anthony Edwards presided over Minnesota's strong finish by hitting a triple to give the lead back to the host 106-103 after Luka Doncic knotted the count at 103-all. After blocking a Riu Hachimura shot, Edwards then set up Nazir Reid for another triple that all but dashed the Lakers hope, 109-103 barely two minutes left.
The Lakers would score a solitary point on a free throw by Austin Reeves as Edwards, Jasen McDaniels and Julius Randle combined for seven last points to score the breakaway win.
Lebron James flashed his former young self as he almost single handedly carried the Lakers offense with a still hobbling Doncic was haunted by the Timberwolves defense. In one occasion, James hit two consecutive triples as Minnesota threatened to break away.
But the heroics of James and efforts of Doncic, Hachimura and Reeves were not able to prevent the inevitable as the bigger Timberwolves won't be denied of an opening home win.
Edwards who was virtually everywhere, scoring, defending, rebounding and setting up his teammates, finished with 29 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists as he allowed McDaniels to take top scoring honors with 30 points. Randle was also instrumental in the win by scoring 22 points and making life hard for Doncic.
James had 38 points for the Lakers as he virtually played all positions as Los Angeles played zone to offset the Timberwolves size advantage . He was supported by Reeves with 22 points but Doncic was limited to only 17 points.
In Orlando, led by Wagner and Banchero, the Magic engaged Boston in a closely fought game for three quarters before taking the lead at the start of the final period and maintaining their momentum and the initiative until the final buzzer.
In the close 95-93 win, it almost seemed as if the Celtics simply ran out of time.
Banchero led the Magic with 29 points followed by Wagner with 28 points.
Jason Tatum scored 36 points and Jalen Brown had 19 points for Boston.
In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo found a great backup in Gary Trent Jr as Damien Lillard was in one of his off nights.
Antetokounmpo and Trent scored 37 points each in powering the Bucks to the pulling out win over Indiana which was again led by do it all big man Paskal Siakam who had a team high 28 points.
Games 4 of the three pairs series will still be hosted by the home squads.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
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