Nathan Lyon picks off three key wickets to set Australia on course for Ashes series win

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Nathan Lyon severely dented England's desperate Ashes survival bid with three quick blows: vice-captain Harry Brook, bowled; captain Ben Stokes, bowled; leading scorer Zak Crawley, stumped.

Just as England was starting to gain confidence Saturday chasing what needed to be a world-record 435 to keep the Ashes series alive, Lyon returned to the Australian attack.

Crawley (85) and Brook (30) had combined in a 68-run stand to revive England's innings from 109-3 to 177-3 after Australia skipper Pat Cummins took out the top order.

Then Lyon, who moved to No. 2 on Australia's all-time list of wicket-takers in the first innings, started a new spell in the evening session.

On his second ball Lyon dismissed a cavalier Brook, who reached too far and completely missed an extravagant reverse sweep. The 38-year-old spinner quickly took three wickets for eight runs in a sequence that ripped through the middle order and suddenly England was 194-6.

Stokes, England's totemic leader, was out trying to defend against Lyon but missed a turning ball that rattled his off stump. Crawley, batting patiently in pursuit of a sixth test century, was deceived by a drifting Lyon delivery and stumped by Alex Carey.

At stumps on Day 4, England was 207-6 and needing 228 runs for an improbable victory in the third test.

Australia, which hasn't lost an Ashes test at home since 2010-11, needed four wickets to clinch the five-match series with two tests to spare.

Crawley said England had been outplayed by Australia.

“Obviously we’ve been slightly short of our best but credit has to go them, they haven’t allowed us to be at our best," Crawley said. “It’s disappointing, we came here to win the Ashes and we’re staring down the barrel now.”

After losing the first two tests in Perth and Brisbane, England needs a win in Adelaide to have any hope of reclaiming the Ashes. Australia needs only a draw to retain the old urn.

“We’ll reflect on today and make plans for tomorrow,” Australia wicketkeeper Carey said in a post-match TV interview, trying to play down his team's strong position.

Of Lyon's impact, Carey added: “He toiled away all day, finally got some reward.”

Cummins rattled the top order in three spells, dismissing Ben Duckett (4) and Ollie Pope (17), both caught by Marnus Labuschagne, on either side of the lunch interval. Then he had Joe Root, the No. 1-ranked batter in test cricket, caught behind for 39.

It was the 13th time Cummins has dismissed the former England captain in test cricket. And it was an all-too familiar setup — Cummins repeatedly putting the ball on a perfect length before getting Root to dabble at a ball that shaped in and seamed away.

Even his Australian teammates late in the afternoon were mildly taunting Lyon, who said in a TV interview earlier this month he was “filthy” at being dropped for the second test in Brisbane. Chirps of “C'mon Big Fil. C'mon Filthy” echoed around the stumps as fielders encouraged the veteran spin bowler.

Lyon hadn't taken a wicket in 27 overs and had figures of 0-50 from 10.1 overs in the second innings Saturday before he dramatically swung the momentum.

For much of Day 4, England was playing the better cricket.

Australia resumed at 271-4 in its second innings, a lead of 356, with Head unbeaten on 142 and Carey on 52.

Head’s dismissal for 170 triggered a lower-order collapse, with the last six wickets falling for 38 in 11 overs. The Australians were all out for 349, a lead of 434.

Head's 162-run stand with Carey ended when he pulled a short ball from Josh Tongue (4-70) high and deep into the outfield.

Stokes then had Carey out for 72, tucking a short ball around the corner and caught at leg slip in a smart piece of field positioning.

Brydon Carse (3-80) dismissed Cummins (6) and Lyon on consecutive balls but Scott Boland left a wide ball to deny England its first Ashes hat-trick since 1999.

The highest successful fourth-innings run chase in test history was West Indies’ 418 in a three-wicket win over Australia in 2003.

England has successfully chased 370-plus targets twice to win against India in the last three years.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Australian players celebrate after England's Ben Stokes, right, was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Zak Crawley reacts after he was out stumped by Australia's Alex Carey, left, during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Nathan Lyon, second left, is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Stokes during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australian players celebrate after England's Ben Stokes, right, was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Nathan Lyon, second left, is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Stokes during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Pat Cummins, centre, celebrates with teammate Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, right, after dismissing England's Ollie Pope during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England batsmen Zak Crawley, right, and Joe Root gesture during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Joe Root bats during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Ben Stokes, right, walks with teammate Jofra Archer after dismissing Australia during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Pat Cummins is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Duckettduring play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Ben Stokes, right, celebrates after dismissing Australia's Alex Carey, left, during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Ben Duckett walks from the field after he was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Jofra Archer bowls during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Ben Stokes, centre, celebrates with teammates after dismissing Australia's Alex Carey during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves kept possession, trailing by two in the final minute, and Anthony Edwards knew exactly what he was doing next.

After teammate Julius Randle made his first free throw and missed the second, Rudy Gobert leaped to tap the ball into the backcourt and help keep the Wolves within reach of Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Edwards quickly took possession, steered Thunder guard Cason Wallace toward the wing, faked a drive, and swished a 25-foot step-back 3-pointer with 38.5 seconds left to give the Wolves the lead for good in a 112-107 victory.

“I’m not passing the ball. I knew it was going up,” said Edwards, who returned from a three-game injury absence with 26 points and 12 rebounds. "When it left my hand, I knew it was going in. He played great defense. It was a tough shot. But I probably shoot that shot 1,000 times in a week when I’m in the gym, so it felt like a natural shot.”

Edwards, who's been managing a foot injury, said there was no doubt in his mind he would play against the Thunder, who ousted the Wolves in five games in the Western Conference finals last spring and beat them 113-105 in Oklahoma City last month.

“At the end of the day, we’re putting the ball in his hands, asking him to bring us home,” said Donte DiVincenzo, who had 15 points. “That’s exactly what he did.”

Edwards didn't stop with the hero shot, either.

He blocked reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's shot at the rim on the next possession and grabbed the defensive rebound after the Thunder hung onto the ball for another try, setting up Randle for two free throws that put the Wolves up by three.

Then as Gilgeous-Alexander drove up the court, Edwards saw teammate and defensive ace Jaden McDaniels in the gap on Gilgeous-Alexander's left, made sure to cut off his path to the right, and swiped the ball as it crossed his face.

“I knew he was trying to go for a 3,” Edwards said. “Just trying to be solid."

Edwards, sitting in front of his locker after the game, then added the relevant levity to the revelry of handing the Thunder (25-3) a rare loss.

“That’s just one win, man. That’s a regular-season win,” said Edwards, also noting the Thunder had played at home the night before. “They're the best team in the league by far.”

But the defending champions clearly brought out the best in the Wolves (17-10), who might well have produced their best performance of the young season in terms of the opponent, the meaning, their energy and their defense — offsetting a rough night shooting from the floor and the foul line.

“You could feel every defensive stop, every rebound, every offensive rebound. You could feel how much energy the arena had, the ball had, the teammates had,” DiVincenzo said. “That’s the atmosphere we need every single night.”

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

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, celebrates his three-point basket as Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, left, looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates his three-point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates his three-point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) smiles during a timeout in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)