The Timberwolves looked different on Saturday night because Anthony Edwards delivered a star performance, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had outscored Edwards by 19 combined points in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, but that changed dramatically in Game 3. Edwards delivered 30 points in 30 minutes as Minnesota claimed a 42-point victory on its home court that marked a dramatic shift in the series.
“That’s what we need him to do, and when he does it, it takes us to another level,” coach Chris Finch said. “I thought that’s what was really big in the first quarter. He got a couple of those steals. He was all over the place. He knew that we needed that type of start from our defense, and he brought it. It was really, really good.”
Edwards set the tone with 16 points in the first quarter, which was two more than the Thunder managed against the Wolves’ stifling defense. He also finished the game with nine rebounds, six assists and two steals and shot 5-of-8 from beyond the arc after going 4-of-17 in the first two games.
“I feel like the second game I was in a rhythm, it was just my trey ball wasn’t falling,” Edwards said. “Just getting back in the gym, watching shots go in and just keep trusting it. That’s all.”
There’s more from Minnesota:
- Edwards was a second-team All-NBA selection, but he told assistant coach Chris Hines that he didn’t feel like he deserved the honor after playing so poorly in the first two games against the Thunder, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Mike Conley said he saw a different side of Edwards as he prepared for Game 3. “It was a different energy,” Conley said. “Normally, he’ll just come in and he’ll just work extra hard. You’ll see him in there just angry. But this was more like he was disgusted in himself. This was, ‘I’m not playing like I should.’ It was almost an embarrassment kind of feeling, and we could just feel that in his energy. He still worked and he still did his thing. But it was like he just knew that something had to change.”
- Terrence Shannon was a surprise contributor after entering Saturday’s game in the second quarter, observes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. The rookie guard wound up with 15 points in 13 minutes as he frequently challenged OKC’s defense with drives to the basket. “He’s willing to get to the paint, no matter what,” Edwards said. “You have three people in there, he’s still gonna find a way to get down there, and that was just about being able to read the game form. They put three people in the paint, I’m telling them like, ‘You got kick outs.’”
- Edwards credited Jaden McDaniels for the Wolves’ defensive improvement in Game 3, saying he was robbed of All-Defensive honors, McMenamin tweets. “It starts with Jaden McDaniels,” Edwards said. “He didn’t make an All-Defensive Team, which is terrible for [the] people who get a vote. He showed them again tonight why he should be on the defensive team.”
Huge win, but I’m not confident yet that it was a total momentum shift. A game 4 victory is imperative for Minnesota. 3-1 and 2-2 is a major difference in series status, as everyone knows.
Playoffs is all about adjustments and OKC team is deep so they will adjust. T-wolves had a great shooting night but you can’t expect them to shoot 50% from 3 pt line again. Game 4 will be close.
Fact TWolves totally outplayed Thunder on D and O. Should be a big concern. I also wonder where this fire was in gm1 and gm2. I don’t believe in the playoffs you can turn it on and off. This just shows me there is no dominant team in playoffs. I’ve seen good teams bounce back from a beating like this. But they were all vet teams with proven players. Thunder are trying to be that team. TWolves also trying to be that team. Considering they have new players in Randle and Donte. Unlike the Knicks. TWolves still have their home gms.
Getting right as a team and hot at right time. Is what these playoffs have been this year. OKC is only team left. That has been solid for most of year. Yet they showed their youth last night. This is still a good series.