With an achy knee and all, Anthony Edwards scanned the defense before committing to his next move.
Seeing a double-team collapse onto him, Edwards expertly bounced the basketball to the sharpshooting Donte DiVicenzo, who hit the biggest shot of the night to extend his team’s lead to four with just over 60 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled it off. Even with their best player still seen hobbling, still seen laboring on multiple possessions.
The Denver Nuggets gave it up. Even when their opponent’s best player still wasn’t at full strength. They got happy up 19 points early and got a little too comfy.
Minnesota did what every road team in a series is desperate for: steal one of the first two games before heading back home. The Wolves have to love where they are, and Edwards has to feel wonderful about getting a split in Denver before heading back to Minneapolis.
Anthony Edwards Posts Shining Stat Line, Makes Wolves History
By Anthony Edwards standards, the 24-year-old Minnesota star was subpar in Game 1. He had his moments — darting past Aaron Gordon leading to a pretty three-point opportunity just past the halfway point of the first quarter — but shot poorly and didn’t move well most of the night.
Wolves fans had to walk away from the Game 1 loss believing their team could’ve won had Edwards been up to speed physically.
GettyAnthony Edwards set to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Jokic-led Denver Nuggets.
He wasn’t even at his most explosive state last night. He just got the job done in a big way.
Edwards, always dripping with confidence, wolverined his way to a 30-point, 10-rebound double-double along with a pair of blocks.
The last player in Minnesota history to do that? Kevin Garnett. (Five times!)
“Anthony Edwards finished the game with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks,” The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski wrote after the game. “He joins Kevin Garnett (5x) as the only other Timberwolves player to record that stat line in the postseason.”
In Prime Position for Another Triumph
That’s all the Wolves could’ve asked for. At least one win in Ball Arena before pointing their plane back toward home base.
Edwards’ health remains a concern, but, man, how can these Wolves complain about where they are now?
In typical Edwards fashion, he isn’t getting too high just yet. After all, he’s been to consecutive conference finals. This is just round one.
It’s 1-1. It’s no driver seat,” Edwards, with a grin on his face, said in an on-court postgame interview. “We going home. We got an advantage at home. Hopefully our fans rattle them at little bit when they come to our crib.
“We’ll be ready.”
This rivalry just won’t stop. Another long and spicy series feels destined after Game 2.
In the last 30 matchups, each team has won 15 times. An even 50-50.
But in the last six games in Denver, the Wolves have won convincing four times. Last’s win surely gave Nuggets fans flashbacks to the last time their team lost to Edwards and co. in that building.
Edwards is dealing with a tricky knee injury similar to what Warriors star Steph Curry battled this season. If Edwards is truly progressing and getting healthier, that spells trouble for the Nuggets.
We’ll see what Thursday has in store for this matchup. The rutty road to round two continues.
Anthony Edwards Posts Historic Stat Line in Wild Timberwolves Win vs Nuggets