MINNEAPOLIS >> Jaden McDaniels converted a three-point play with 39.5 seconds left for the lead and stole the ensuing inbounds pass from LeBron James, leading a rally by the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 116-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that put them up 3-1 in the first-round series on Sunday.

Anthony Edwards, who had 43 points to lead Minnesota in scoring for the first time in this edition of the NBA playoffs, drew a foul on James during a drive to the lane with 10 seconds left and hit both free throws.

With Luka Doncic and James well-defensed along the arc, the ball went to Austin Reaves in the corner for the tying attempt that rimmed out and was rebounded by McDaniels at the buzzer.

Julius Randle added 25 points and McDaniels had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who trailed by 12 points late in the third quarter.

Doncic bounced back from a bad stomach bug with 38 points on 13-for-28 shooting, but the Lakers were headed home for a win-or-be-eliminated Game 5 on Wednesday.

Doncic, after fighting the illness and finishing with only 17 points in Game 3, was clearly feeling better after a full day to rest. But he went 1 for 6 in the fourth quarter from the floor.

James had 27 points and 12 rebounds for his 144th career double-double in the playoffs, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain for the third-most in history behind Tim Duncan (164) and Magic Johnson (157). James went 15 for 18 from the free-throw line, determined to get to the rim in what was the best game by the Lakers offense in the series, but he was scoreless in the fourth.

Knicks 94, Pistons 93 >> New York’s dynamic duo put Detroit on the brink of elimination — with an assist from the officials.

Karl-Anthony Towns made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 46.6 seconds left and finished with 27 points, Jalen Brunson had 32 points and 11 assists and the Knicks beat the Pistons 94-93 on Sunday to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Tim Hardaway Jr. shot a 3-pointer just before the buzzer and drew some contact from New York’s Josh Hart that wasn’t called a foul at the end of a physical game with few whistles.

David Guthrie, the crew chief for the game, said afterward that the officials made a mistake.

“After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called,” Guthrie said.

Had the foul been called, Hardaway would have gone to the foul line for three free throws that could have given Detroit the lead.

Instead, the Knicks held on to win after rallying from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Towns, a 7-foot center, made a turnaround fadeaway near the baseline with 1:29 left before connecting on a shot from about 27 feet.

“He has amazing touch,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He shoots the ball like a guard and he has unlimited range.”

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had 25 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for his first playoff triple-double and the third in franchise history, but he missed two shots and turned the ball over in the final 1:07.

“He has to carry us on the offensive end,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “That’s a heavy burden on him, but he has come through so many times.”

Game 5 is Tuesday night in New York.

The Pistons have lost nine straight home playoff games since 2008, equaling an NBA record set by Philadelphia from 1968 to 1971.

The Knicks expected Detroit’s best punch, then came out swinging and had enough fight in the end to win.

New York led by as much as 16 points in the first half before the Pistons went on an 11-0 run to help them pull within seven at halftime.

Detroit outscored the Knicks 28-14 in the third to take a seven-point lead thanks to Cunningham. He had 12 points — making 6 of 7 shots — five assists, five rebounds and three blocks in the quarter.

Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas is the only other player to have a triple-double for the Pistons in a playoff game. The two-time NBA champion, who had a front-row seat for the game, pulled off the feat in 1986 and 1989.

The Knicks had a scare late in the third when Brunson limped off the court and toward the locker room with an apparent right leg injury, but he returned.

“Moments like that you have to take a breath and relax,” Brunson said.

Follow Larry Lage on X

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba