The Minnesota Timberwolves got off to a bad start Thursday. Anthony Edwards also made sure they didn't do the same.
The All-Star scored a season-high tying 44 points against the Indiana Pacers, with his biggest play coming on defense as time expired. After making two free throws to put the T-Wolves ahead 113-111, Edwards had to run back and find Aaron Nesmith in transition.
Nesmith seemed to have a clear path to the game-winning layup as he evaded Mike Conley in the paint, but then Edwards came from the other side of the paint and denied him hard, ending the game. I set it.
How high did Edwards get up? Well, you might notice him banging his head against the rim on that play.
He certainly did. He told Bury Sports North after the game::
“I hit my head, I think it hit the rim. It hurt so bad and it landed on my wrist. When I saw him in the lane, I knew he was going for a layup, but I was like, 'Oh. , I was like, 'Go get this.' 'He had never jumped so high in his life. ”
That was just the end of a complete takeover by Edwards at the end of the match. Here's how every Timberwolves possession ended in his final 90 seconds of a game that started with a 105-105 tie.
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Edwards makes a 3-point shot
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Edwards makes a 2-point jump shot
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Edwards makes a 2-point jump shot
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Edwards makes 1 of 2 free throws.
You can see everything here:
The score was tied at 105-105. Here's a complete rundown of what Anthony Edwards did in the final moments to ensure Minnesota's victory. pic.twitter.com/lRqjx97OFg
— Rob Perez (@WorldwideWob) March 8, 2024
Edwards went 18-of-35 from the field (3-of-7 from 3-point range), had six rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks and had zero turnovers.
With Karl-Anthony Towns out for the foreseeable future, the bulk of the work on Minnesota's offense will likely fall even more heavily on Edwards. The team is trying to stay on pace for the playoffs while waiting for their All-Star big man to return. play off.
Not every day is like Thursday, but Edwards showed he believes he's up to the challenge.
