Timberwolves squander Anthony Edwards’ all-time playoff performance

The Minnesota Timberwolves entered game two of their first round playoff series on Wednesday evening desperately needing a win against the Denver Nuggets. Having lost by nearly 30 in game one and down two important role players, the Wolves knew they had to show some fight before the series shifted back to Minneapolis.

They certainly gave the Nuggets a scare in running off a 25-6 run in the third quarter, but ultimately could not pull off the upset. It was a fitting result for a team that has had so many encouraging and simultaneously confusing games this season.

The biggest gut punch from this loss was the fact that the Timberwolves could not pull out a win on a night where Anthony Edwards went nuclear, scoring a playoff career-high 41 points. His play was otherworldly, but it was not enough to prevent Minnesota from falling into an 0-2 hole in the series.

Anthony Edwards’ game two in Denver was his best playoff game ever.

Coming off a game one where Edwards put up a pedestrian 18 points, Wolves fans were eager to see playoff Ant return once again. Last season in the first round against Memphis, Edwards had multiple 30-point games, so we already knew he was capable of showing out on this stage.

Not only did he show up in the biggest way by registering his best playoff scoring performance, but he did it on high efficiency at 60% shooting from three-point range and from the floor as a whole. Defensively, he continued to be a pest and picked up two steals and three blocks. It was an all-around dominant performance from the young stud.

In fact, Edwards’ 41 points on Wednesday made him the sixth-youngest player in NBA history to score 40 or more points in a playoff game. He continues to show up when it matters most for Minnesota, despite the injuries he is battling through. At one point in the fourth quarter, Ant hit a fading turnaround jumper that would have made even Michael Jordan proud.

The Timberwolves were unable to ride Edwards’ performance to a victory.

As good as Anthony Edwards was on Wednesday, it was not enough to propel the Wolves to a win by himself. Minnesota needed a strong night out of Karl-Anthony Towns as well, and he struggled mightily, shooting 3-for-12.

Other small mistakes added up down the stretch, like Rudy Gobert’s fourth quarter technical foul and a few key giveaways in the closing minutes. With the Timberwolves riding off the momentum of their offensive surge in the third quarter, they had a legitimate chance to steal this one.

The fact that Minnesota was unable to finish the job is more of an indicator of how thin their rotation is than anything. With Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid still out with injuries, they played just eight players. Still, it is disheartening that they were not able to pull one out in one of the best games of Anthony Edwards’ career.