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The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled a come-from-behind victory against the OKC Thunder on Tuesday despite Anthony Edwards’ injury. “Ant-Man” aggressively attacked the rim in the third quarter of the said game but fell hard to the floor after trying to dunk the ball. The score was tied at 71 apiece with 3:32 left in the period when the incident happened. Edwards grimaced in pain for a few minutes before he was led to the locker room.
The All-Star guard did not return to finish the game. He tallied 21 points, five rebounds and one assist in 28 minutes. The Timberwolves were trailing for most of the game until Edwards’ third-quarter explosion where he dropped 12 of his total output. Unfortunately, he couldn’t resume playing following the hard crash to the floor.
After the game, Dane Moore had this to report about Anthony Edwards’ status:
“Chris Finch says it’s a hip contusion for Anthony Edwards”
The explosive guard may have wanted to push through given his fiercely competitive nature. Minnesota’s training staff may have been forced to impose their will to prevent him from returning to the floor. It all worked out in the end as the Timberwolves eked out a 106-103 win to eliminate the OKC Thunder from the NBA-In Season Tournament.
Edwards has a rather slow start to the game. Oklahoma’s defense was determined not to let him beat them. With Karl-Anthony Towns also having an off night, the Timberwolves had to play catchup for most of the night.
Fortunately, Rudy Gobert arguably had his best game in a Timberwolves uniform. Minnesota was lambasted for the price they had to pay to acquire the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. The Frenchman’s struggles last season only increased the criticism. Tonight, Gobert showed why the Timberwolves got him.
Minnesota Timberwolves' supporting cast came up big time after Anthony Edwards’ injury
A season or so ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves might not have managed to win a crucial game without arguably their best player. They have a long history of falling way short when the stakes are high. The Timberwolves lost to the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs last season but they showed fight every step of the way. At long last, they may have finally learned their lesson.
A loss today for the Timberwolves would have complicated their chances of entering the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals. They would have been tied at 2-2 with the OKC Thunder. Instead, they stepped up big time when Anthony Edwards went down with an injury.
The Timberwolves’ defense, which has been their calling card all season, refused to wilt. Rudy Gobert was superb on that end. Troy Brown Jr. who hasn’t had enough opportunities to play, came off the bench to score 17 points, which were highlighted by 3-4 shooting from deep. Naz Reid, the backup big man, did his part as well. He had 15 points and also shot 3-4 3-pointers.
Against the talented OKC Thunder, the Minnesota Timberwolves put on a clutch performance. They will have to keep doing that, particularly with Anthony Edwards’ hip injury.
