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Timberwolves erase 25-point deficit to defeat Thunder 131-128 in overtime

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Timberwolves erase 25-point deficit to defeat Thunder 131-128 in overtime

The Minnesota Timberwolves completed a fearless comeback win for the ages Monday night.

Minnesota erased a 25-point third-quarter deficit against the Western Conference’s top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder (46-11) to pick up a 131-128 overtime road victory at Paycom Center.

With the win the Wolves (32-27) snap a two-game skid and, more importantly, inch closer to the LA Clippers for the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings.

With just under 20 seconds remaining in the overtime period, Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander attacked the rim, where he was met by Minnesota star Anthony Edwards, who swatted Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot with 13 seconds remaining.

The Timberwolves’ Terrence Shannon Jr. recovered the loose ball en route to a Minnesota timeout with 10.4 seconds left. Following two made free throws by Naz Reid to put the Wolves ahead by 3, Gilgeous-Alexander hoisted a contested off-the-dribble 3-pointer to tie it, but the miss completed an epic comeback for Minnesota.

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With just under four minutes to go, Jalen Williams converted a layup to give the Thunder a 16-point margin and what appeared to be enough to seal another victory. The Timberwolves had other ideas.

Williams’ field goal was the last Oklahoma City would make in regulation, and the Wolves caught just enough fire to spark a comeback in the waning minutes of regulation — all without Edwards. Inside the final minute of the fourth quarter, Jaden McDaniels converted an and-1 layup over Thunder guard Alex Caruso, tying the game with 12 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Nickeil Alexander-Walker missed a game-winning floater attempt at the buzzer, leading to overtime.

McDaniels led Minnesota with 27 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and Reid added 22 points and 11 rebounds. Edwards finished with a near triple-double, contributing 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to round out three starters finishing in double-figures. Alexander-Walker added 21 points and five rebounds while Shannon Jr. tallied a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double off the bench.

Gilgeous-Alexander also neared a triple-double with a 39-point, 10-rebound, eight-assist effort on an efficient 11-of-20 shooting from the field. Williams had 27 points and Aaron Wiggins finished with 19 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

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What this means for Timberwolves

Minnesota has been one of the worst clutch teams in the league this season. The Wolves have lost 21 games in clutch time, defined as within five points in the final five minutes. This game looked like it was getting nowhere near clutch time until an unheralded group rallied them.

With Edwards on the sideline with a sore calf, coach Chris Finch said he nearly pulled the plug when they were down 19 points with 6:28 to play. But Shannon Jr. converted a three-point play and another layup to cut it to 12 with just under five minutes to play.

“When we got it down to 12, I thought we had a chance,” Finch said. “I wouldn’t have necessarily put money on us winning, but I thought at that point we had a chance.”

This was the largest fourth-quarter deficit overcome in franchise history, per Elias. Minnesota also is just the second team since 2002-03 to come back to win a game after trailing by at least 16 points with 3:45 to go, per Wolves PR. The only other team to do it? The Sacramento Kings did it against Minnesota in 2020.

Finch stuck with a five that included Shannon Jr., Rob Dillingham, Alexander-Walker, McDaniels and Reid, and that group rallied to force overtime. The Wolves also were missing starters Julius Randle (groin), Donte DiVincenzo (toe) and Rudy Gobert (back), but Minnesota found a way to push through for what could be a season-defining win.

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This season has been disjointed as the Wolves have tried to move on from Karl-Anthony Towns. But one thing this team has never done is give up. There is a fiber to them that merits seeing this thing through. After losing to Houston and Oklahoma City in close games coming out of the break, the Wolves needed this one to show their fans that it’s not time to give up just yet.

“We kept fighting. The team fights. It always has,” Finch said. “We don’t always play the prettiest basketball, but it’s been fighting for a long, long time.” — Jon Krawczynski, senior writer

Finch’s moves finally paid off

Finch has come under criticism from some Wolves fans with the team struggling to regain the form it had last season on the way to the Western Conference finals. He has not always been able to find the right lineup combinations. He also owns part of the team’s clutch time woes.

But Finch made several huge decisions in the fourth quarter to help win this one. First, the Wolves started to blitz Gilgeous-Alexander to force the ball out of his hands early in the possession. They had deployed a similar strategy in their previous two wins over the Thunder, but Finch said he didn’t want to use the same approach at the start of this game because he figured OKC would be ready for it.

He finally went to it in the fourth, flustering the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander had only nine points on 3-of-6 shooting in the fourth quarter and overtime. His teammates only scored 17 points during that time, allowing the Wolves to roar back.

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Finch also decided to keep Edwards on the bench for much of the comeback. The Wolves star had struggled shooting in the game, including missing four free throws. Edwards used a therapeutic massager on his calf throughout the fourth quarter and felt good enough to get in for the final few minutes in overtime when he had that enormous block.

Like he rarely has this season, Finch rode the young players and it paid off for him in a big win. — Krawczynski.

McDaniels shines while offense struggles

While the rest of his team couldn’t buy a bucket for most of the night, McDaniels carried the offense. He showed more playmaking chops than he ever has.

Edwards and Reid couldn’t find their shooting touch, so McDaniels put it all on his slim shoulders. He made 9 of 16 shots and all nine free throws.

“I saw growth,” Reid said. “I was struggling, Ant was struggling. He was the only one getting to his spots, making shots and rebounding.”

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McDaniels is often the fourth or fifth option on offense when the Wolves are fully healthy, but he is showing he is capable of much more. — Krawczynski

Required reading

(Photo: William Purnell / Getty Images)

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Tiger Woods released from jail after DUI arrest; eyes appear bloodshot in booking photo

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Tiger Woods released from jail after DUI arrest; eyes appear bloodshot in booking photo

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Tiger Woods was released from jail Friday night after he was arrested earlier in the day on a DUI charge following a car crash in Florida.

In a mugshot released hours after his arrest, Woods’ eyes appeared bloodshot, as he donned a blue polo inside the Martin County Jail in Florida.

Woods was seen leaving the jail in the passenger seat of a black SUV after his release on bail late Friday, according to The Associated Press.

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek confirmed in a news conference that Woods was traveling at “a high rate of speed” when his vehicle collided with another car, resulting in his vehicle rolling over onto the driver’s side. 

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Tiger Woods was booked into Martin County, Florida, jail on March 27, 2026. (AP)

Authorities said Woods “exemplified signs of impairment.” He blew “triple-zeroes” for alcohol but refused a urine test.

“DUI investigators came to the scene here, and Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment. They did several tests on him. Of course, he did explain the injuries and the surgeries that he had. We did take that into account, but they did do some in-depth roadside tests,” Budensiek added. 

“We really weren’t suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case, and that proved to be true at the jail. … But when it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused. And, so, he’s been charged with DUI, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.”

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Woods was spotted on the phone after the crash, wearing navy blue shorts.

Woods was charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a test, all misdemeanor charges. No one was injured, authorities said. Woods was alone in the car and crawled out of the passenger door after the crash.

Tiger Woods was driven from the Martin County Jail after being arrested for driving under the influence following a car crash on March 27, 2026, in Stuart, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

VANESSA, KAI TRUMP TAKE IN TIGER WOODS’ RETURN TO GOLF AT TGL FINALS

“This could’ve been a lot worse,” Budensiek noted. 

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President Donald Trump commented on the arrest of his “very close friend.”

“I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty,” Trump said. “There was an accident, and that’s all I know. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, an amazing man, but some difficulty.”

Woods has not commented on the arrest.

Tiger Woods was arrested on a DUI charge after getting into a car crash on Friday. (Associated Press)

Woods currently is dating Trump’s ex-daughter-in-law, Vanessa, whose daughter, Kai, is set to play college golf in Miami next week.

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This is Woods’ second DUI arrest within the last decade. In 2017, he was taken into custody, also in Jupiter Island, after taking prescription drugs and being asleep behind the wheel of a running car at 3 a.m. 

In 2021, he got into a wreck that resulted in serious leg injuries that kept him off the golf course for the entire year.

Golfer Tiger Woods stands by his overturned vehicle in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026.  (Jason Oteri/AP)

Woods made his return to competitive golf earlier this week in the TGL championship after rupturing his Achilles just before last year’s Masters (this year’s tournament is in less than two weeks). Woods has not appeared on the links since the 2024 PGA Championship, in which he missed the cut.

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Lakers beat Nets, but Luka Doncic is facing suspension again after 16th technical

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Lakers beat Nets, but Luka Doncic is facing suspension again after 16th technical

For the second time in less than a week, Luka Doncic faces a one-game suspension because of technical foul accumulation.

Only a week after Doncic’s 16th technical foul was rescinded by the NBA, the Lakers superstar picked up another one in a 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday and is in line to miss the Lakers’ next game against the Washington Wizards on Monday.

In the third quarter with the Lakers trailing by one against the lowly Nets (17-57), Doncic was called for an offensive foul against Nic Claxton as the Lakers (48-26) were trying to inbound the ball after a dunk by Ziaire Williams. After the Lakers turnover, Williams and Doncic appeared to exchange words with Doncic pushing Williams aside with one hand. Williams then flailed his arms behind him and slapped Doncic in the throat.

“He was yelling in my face three times,” said Doncic, who finished with 41 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the win. “I just wanted to get out of there. … I didn’t even talk. I just wanted to get out of there. And they said I pushed. My push was exaggerated, which was obviously not [the case].”

Both were assessed technical fouls with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter, and Williams’ hit was reviewed for a possible flagrant, although it was not upgraded.

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The NBA requires players to sit out for one game without pay after their 16th technical foul of the season. But Doncic avoided that fate after the NBA rescinded the foul that would have forced him to the bench for a critical road game last week. Lakers coach JJ Redick said the Lakers will try to appeal Doncic’s latest foul but he did not see what happened on the play.

Last week, Doncic avoided a suspension after the NBA rescinded the foul that would have forced him to the bench for a critical road game against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons. Doncic is slated to miss Monday’s game against the Wizards, who have lost 17 of their last 18 games and have the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference (17-56).

Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts to a referee’s call during the second half Friday against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Doncic picked up his first 16th technical foul last week against the Orlando Magic after getting into an argument with Orlando forward Goga Bitadze. Doncic claimed Bitadze directed a vulgar comment about Doncic’s family in Serbian toward the Lakers star guard. Bitadze refuted the story, saying it was actually Doncic who said the curse word out loud first and that he was only repeating what he heard.

The NBA rescinded both fouls upon review the following day.

Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, has scored 30 points or more in 12 consecutive games, the longest such streak in his career. He has 43 30-point games this season, tying Elgin Baylor and Jerry West for sixth-most in a season by a Lakers player. He has scored 40 points or more in the last 12 games.

Against the Nets, Austin Reaves finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists and LeBron James had 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Before the game, Redick said the Nets game would be like playing on the road since the Lakers had spent almost two weeks away from Crypto.com Arena and had returned home in the wee hours of Thursday morning from Indianapolis.

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Lakers guard Austin Reaves celebrates after shooting a three-pointer against the Nets in the second half Friday.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves celebrates after shooting a three-pointer against the Nets in the second half Friday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The challenge was to find the energy to play, which wasn’t a problem for Doncic, who had 24 points in the first half. Doncic was nine for 15 from the field in the first half and four for six from three-point range in 20 minutes. He finished shooting 15 for 25 from the field as the Lakers shot 54% from the floor. They shot 44% (11 for 25) from three-point range.

That the Lakers were facing a Nets team with the second-worst record in the NBA didn’t matter.

That the Lakers were facing a Nets team had lost nine of its last 10 games didn’t matter.

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That the Lakers were facing a Nets team that’s last in the league in scoring (106.3 points per game) didn’t matter.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, blocks a shot by Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, blocks a shot by Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore in the first half Friday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

What mattered to the Lakers was finding a way to win as the regular season winds down.

“I felt like we were a step slow,” Redick said. “And I told the guys at halftime, ‘This is our seventh game of the road trip. Anytime you come back, there’s a day in between, that’s just you’re in another city until you can get adjusted to the time zone and you get a couple days break.’ So the next two [off] days will be good for us.”

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Notes: Lakers broadcast analyst Stu Lantz missed Friday night’s game against the Nets because of health issues. Derek Fisher, who won five NBA titles with the Lakers, took over Lantz’s role for the game. Public address announcer Lawrence Tanter also missed the game because of a health matter. Jason Barquero filled in for Lantz. “The entire Lakers organization is wishing Lawrence all the best in his recovery, and we look forward to welcoming him back soon,” the team said in a statement.

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Tiger Woods involved in rollover crash in Florida less than 2 weeks before Masters: reports

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Tiger Woods involved in rollover crash in Florida less than 2 weeks before Masters: reports

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Tiger Woods was involved in a car crash on Jupiter Island in Florida on Friday, according to multiple reports. 

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office told ESPN that the crash happened on Jupiter Island. Woods’ condition was not immediately known. 

Woods competed in the TGL championship earlier this week with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, and her daughter, Kai, in the stands. It was his return to competitive golf after rupturing his Achilles last year, just ahead of the Masters.

Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club looks on before the match against the Los Angeles Golf Club at SoFi Center on March 23, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.  (Adam Glanzman/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)

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The 15-time major winner, five of which have come at Augusta, was noncommittal about playing at this year’s Masters. President Donald Trump said on “The Five” on Thursday that he would be at Augusta but not play.

Woods has had trouble behind the wheel in the past. In 2021, he got into a wreck that resulted in serious leg injuries that kept him off the golf course for months.

This is a breaking story. Check back for more updates.

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