Anthony Edwards was excellent in a hard-fought win Wednesday against Phoenix. The 23-year-old was all over the floor on both ends, delivering a masterful performance in a high-intensity, high-stakes bout.
So you could pretty much chalk the guard up for a no-show on Thursday in Utah against the lowly Jazz. Or, at least you could in the past. Because Edwards has long been a player who gets up for the big ones, and effectively sits out the small ones, particularly when one game is played the day after another.
That was not the case Thursday.
On the day he was named an All-Star for the third consecutive season, Edwards performed as such in Minnesota’s 138-113 rout of the Jazz (10-36) — the Wolves’ fifth-straight victory.
One evening after posting a stacked stat line against Phoenix, the star guard tallied 36 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and three blocks as Minnesota won its second game in as many nights.
He’s the first player in Wolves’ history to record a game with 35-plus points, 10-plus assists and three blocked shots.
“I thought he was outstanding,” Wolves coach Chris Finch told reporters. “His approach, when he came out after his first shift … I told him, ‘That’s the way to set the tone of what we want out there.’ Both ends of the right floor … making the right play … didn’t force anything, got all his teammates involved, played defense.”
After the Wolves fell to Dallas in the Western Conference finals in the spring — a series in which Edwards appeared to be worn by its conclusion — the guard noted fatigue as a factor, and spoke to a knowledge of the conditioning he must possess to be able to perform at a high level that deep into the postseason.
While that entails offseason work, which Edwards mentioned in the moment, there’s also something to conditioning yourself with the rigorous regular season slate. What better way to prep yourself for the persistent playoff battles than by putting your body through the ringer in Phoenix one night, and Utah the next.
That’s not a physical test Edwards has passed in the past, but he aced it this week. He was the most physically dominant player in both outings, showing no sign of wear Thursday in Utah. His effort and decision-making paved the way for all players around him to succeed.
On Thursday, that included a number of reserves making the most of their opportunities. Julius Randle left the game in the first half with a groin injury and did not return. Mike Conley was out with a sprained thumb. Donte DiVicenzo is still out with his foot injury.
So Minnesota (26-21) is finally having to dip deeper into its bench, and those guys continue to deliver. Rob Dillingham finished with 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting to go with eight assists. Luka Garza — who figures to enter the rotation if Randle misses extended time — had 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting. Jaylen Clark was again a defensive force. The Wolves won Clark’s 17 minutes by 34 points.
“Our bench was huge,” Finch told reporters. “Doing everything out there for us.”
The Wolves won Edwards’ 35 minutes by 25 points.
Finch has touted the need for consistency, particularly in this favorable stretch as Minnesota looks to finally establish the foundation of habits needed to create an identity it could lean on for a potential postseason run. All of that centers on its star player.
And, if Thursday was any indication, Edwards may be ready to step and deliver.
Related Articles
Jace Frederick: Timberwolves’ Chris Finch getting best from Anthony Edwards
Timberwolves blow past Suns in Phoenix for fourth straight win
Rudy Gobert’s production proving to be large indicator of Timberwolves’ success
Timberwolves get beat up in ugly win over Hawks
Anthony Edwards dominates as Timberwolves explode to trounce Denver
Leave a Reply