Analysis: Timberwolves Edwards brings huge challenges to Warriors coach Cole and the Warriors

Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves to a 3-1 lead in the series, which was a big challenge for Steve Cole and the Warriors. The Minnesota Timberwolves won the 3-1 series lead Monday night with a 117-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

Anthony Edwards made 11 of 21 shots in the game, 6 of 11 three-pointers, scoring 30 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals, the highest in the game. His dominant full-scale performance pushed the Minnesota Timberwolves to the brink of a second straight Western Conference Finals.

Warriors head coach Steve Cole praised Edwards for his three-point shooting improvements in three-point shooting in an interview with 95.7 The Game channel after the game.

"This year he's shooting great, you know, he's shooting so high -- I think he's averaged 10 to 11 shots per game, which is much higher than his first few years in the league," Cole said. "I think it's been great for him in the U.S. men's basketball over the past few summers, he's been training with those teammates every day, Chris [Finch] has performed well with his team... Given Anthony's talent and excellent shooting ability, he's in form now. His three-point shooting percentage is very high tonight - the ball near the end of the first half is incredible, so he's a very good player and that's the challenge, we have to work hard to limit his offense in Game 5."

Anthony Edwards' dominant performance in the third quarter broke the Warriors' pace, and the Timberwolves are just one step away from the Western Conference Finals. The third quarter became a turning point in the game, with Edwards scoring 16 of the 30 points in the quarter, helping the Timberwolves establish a lead while the Warriors have been unable to recover the lead. Cole explained the team's adjustments and the mistakes in the game.

"Anthony Edwards began to make a comeback, and we decided to send a larger roster of J.K., Tres, Draymond and Jimmy to try to limit their offensive rhythm and also limit Anthony Edwards' offensive rhythm." Cole said. "Obviously, this move is useless... They've been scoring, but we didn't score, so we lost the ability to connect the game in the third quarter, and they started to slack off. That's the difference in the game."

Nikil Alexander Walker made 5 of 5 shots in the game, scoring 13 points, contributing 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. He talked about the energy Edwards brought in the third quarter.

"On the road, when he hits that goal, you can hear the pain of the audience," Alexander Walker said. "He was in high spirits and began to play his abilities and show his acting talent." The Timberwolves will end the series in Game 5 at the Target Center on Wednesday, which will kick off on TNT TV at 9:30 pm ET. If they can win the game, they will reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time in team history for two consecutive years.

The Golden State Warriors facing elimination must find a way to curb Edwards and recover from the two-game losing streak in the series.