The Minnesota Timberwolves really needed a win on Saturday night. And a win they got.
After starting their series vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 2–0 hole, the Wolves brought Game 3 back to Minnesota and emerged with a decisive 143–101 win, fueled in large part by a dominant performance from guard Anthony Edwards (though Julius Randle's impact should not be neglected, either).
Shortly after the contest was over, coach Chris Finch praised Edwards's growth as a leader this season, noting that the Georgia export has come "leaps and bounds" in that department as of late. He then expounded further while speaking to reporters on Sunday.
"He's fearless, he's not afraid to fail," Finch said of Edwards. "I think, going back a number of years, there have been times in his career where he wasn't sure he wanted it all ... and that would kind of hold [him] back a bit. But he now knows he doesn't have a choice, it's coming, and he has embraced that. Because it's a lot for a player to take that on, and he's built for it. And he just had to kind-of go through it and prove to himself that he was built for it. Even though, deep down, he knew he believed in it."
Watch that answer below:
In the comments on Saturday, Finch had nothing but good things to say about the vibe Edwards brings to the locker room and how that helped the team between Games 2 and 3.
"We talked about all the things we’ve been doing well. I said, ‘Keep staying positive with your teammates. Keep believing in them. Keep feeding them. They’ll knock down shots,'" Finch said of Edwards in the interim. "He was fine, and Ant’s really resilient that way. He always comes in in a good mood. He’s always ready to go, and he was one of the most positive voices after Game 2 in the locker room. So the leadership that he has shown this season has come leaps and bounds. This is just another example of it."
In the end, Edwards finished Saturday with a game-leading 30 points, followed by forward Julius Randle with 24. The pair will look to recreate that success in Game 4, scheduled for Monday at 8:30 p.m.
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