Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves captured a momentum-shifting win over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.
After dropping Game 1 in rather disappointing fashion — the Timberwolves ran out to a first quarter double-digit lead that quickly dissolved — and concerns over Edwards’ knee trouble, it sure felt like all the chips were stacked against the road team.
In the series opener, Edwards amassed just 22 points despite taking 19 shots. His production was muted for seemingly long stretches. And to top it off, he appeared especially hobbled.
The 24-year-old Minnesota star has been dealing with inflammation in his knee ever since the final weeks of the regular season.
Edwards reiterated twice after last night’s win that he hasn’t really played much basketball in the last “month-and-a-half,” but maintains he is feeling better now.
Flying back to Minnesota with a win in their back pocket is golden for the Wolves. Now they’ll play in front of their home fans in an arena where they are often tough to beat.
It suddenly looks like the advantage has swung in the lower seed’s favor.
Anthony Edwards Gets Into it With Nuggets Star
The Wolves are hoping there is plenty of season left, but Monday was the biggest win of the year so far.
Minnesota was going through it to start the game, trailing by 14 points after the first quarter and clearly lacking the intensity and energy of the home team.
But the script flipped fast.
After scoring just 25 points and surrendering 39 points in the first quarter, the Wolves precisely flipped those numbers in the second quarter. As a result, it was a tie ballgame at intermission.
In the final frame, with just over 30 seconds to go in regulation, classic shades of this rivalry reared its head again.
GettyThe Denver Nuggets and the Timberwolves will shift the series to Minnesota.
Edwards was called for a travel, which awarded the Nuggets possession down two points. It felt like a potentially cataclysmic mistake that could lead to Denver tying the game.
Before play resumed, however, Edwards got into a chippy altercation with Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
After Minnesota’s turnover, Jokic attempted to grab the basketball from Edwards, who quickly rebuffed.
As they often do in playoff games, emotions flared between the two best players on the court. Edwards was frustrated with himself for committing a turnover, and Jokic was eager to resume play and help his team either tie or take the lead in crunch-time.
Edwards Fires Pointed Comments After the Game
After Minnesota’s win, there was much discourse about Jokic’s performance and how much Wolves big man Rudy Gobert played a role.
By MVP standards, Jokic played a below par game. And when guarded by Gobert, he especially struggled.
Jokic, one of the game’s most dominant offensive players, was limited to just 1-for-8 shooting when guarded by Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Following the win, Edwards made sure to educate everyone on Gobert’s importance to the team — and that the Minnesota big man has more Defensive Player of the Year awards than Jokic has earned MVP honors.
“He got three MVPs,” Edwards said of Jokic,” but Gobert got four Defensive Player of the Year [awards] for a reason. He can guard. I think people gotta start respecting him. Put some respect on his name.
Edwards then conveyed what he told Gobert during the game about guard Jokic.
“I told him, ‘We ain’t bringing no double-team; you gonna guard him one-one-one all night and stop fouling.’ Stop going for the reach-in, because he’s gonna flop and they gonna call a foul. Just play him straight up.”
We’ll see how Jokic responds to those comments with his play Thursday night.
Jokic versus Gobert has been a headlining matchup each time their teams have met in the postseason. Gobert has made things tough on Jokic so far, but there are at least three more games to go. (Probably more with what history has taught us about these two clubs.)
Anthony Edwards Fires Blunt Message at Nikola Jokic After Heated Scuffle