Souhan: Edwards is the best thing to grace the Wolves since KG
Anthony Edwards #AnthonyEdwards
Kevin Garnett wrote on Twitter an appreciation of Anthony Edwards on Sunday night, then Garnett’s youthful face appeared on the Target Center scoreboard in the late fourth quarter, urging on his former and estranged team.
A recommendation to the incoming Wolves owners: maintain a cordial relationship with Edwards, your current star. He’s the best thing this franchise has seen since KG, aka the Big Ticket, aka the Tallest Man to Make Himself Available For Every TV Commercial Possible.
Edwards hit a contested three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining in overtime on Sunday night, securing a 114-108 victory in Game 4 over the Denver Nuggets and extending the first-round playoff series, and the Wolves’ season, to a fifth game.
Edwards finished with 34 points, six rebounds and five assists. He was easily the Wolves’ best player on Sunday, and that is something we should get used to.
Before Garnett’s tweet and recorded message appeared, the mood in and around Target Center was hardly celebratory for much of Sunday night, even with the great Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in attendance and providing another reminder of how much fun this joint was in Garnett’s prime.
The Timberwolves, down three games to none in their first-round playoff series against Denver, were facing either an immediate departure from the playoffs, or a victory that would lead to a long flight to Denver and likely elimination on Tuesday.
The Wolves have been embarrassing themselves for a while now, what with players punching walls and each other, and their offense grinding to halt so often in fourth quarters when they need it most.
The Nuggets seemed to take control of the game and edge the Wolves toward the offseason in the second quarter.
That’s when the Wolves revealed the best version of themselves — a version that fans may have forgotten about.
Edwards came alive, shooting three-pointers that barely rustled the net, driving through the paint for layups the Nuggets chose not to contest, or couldn’t stop. He would finish regulation with 29 points, four rebounds and five assists, and a reminder that these Wolves have no idea how to close out games.
The Wolves led by 12 late in the fourth quarter. By the time Edwards lost control of the ball at the end of regulation, the Nuggets had surged back to send the game to overtime. “I put that on myself,” Edwards said. “I shot us out of the game.”
Then he won it, with copious help from Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s overtime shooting.
“He played great,” Edwards said. “I give my teammates all the credit.”
The third quarter provided more evidence that Edwards is the Wolves’ future.
With 1:46 left in the third period, Edwards was making a driving, contested layup to give the Wolves a 78-73 lead and prompt Denver coach Mike Malone to call a timeout.
By the end of the third period, Edwards had 27 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. With Denver point guard Jamal Murray shooting poorly, Edwards was the second-best player on the court, behind Denver star Nikola Jokic.
It was at this point that former Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett tweeted a profane appreciation of Edwards’ gumption and leadership.
The Wolves’ Big Three — Edwards, Towns and Gobert — played well for the second straight game.
But the Big Three is really, now, Edwards and his supporting cast.
While Gobert and Alexander-Walker were interviewed on the court after the game, Edwards exited, with a towel over his head. There was no chance of him avoiding attention. The noise level in the arena rose dramatically. Garnett can relate.
“He’s got that special quality we’ve talked about,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “He’s not afraid of those moments.”
Edwards reached 30 points for a third consecutive game. According to the Wolves, he has made 38 three-pointers through his first 10 playoff games, second only to Steph Curry’s 39.
“I can’t get swept,” Edwards said. “My team counts on me to pick them up, and that’s just what I do. I feel like it’s those moments when I come alive.”
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