The Minnesota Timberwolves are getting ready to hit the floor for Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday evening. This series is currently all tied up at two games apiece after the Timberwolves rallied late to win Game 4 over the weekend following the ejection of Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
Anthony Edwards was excellent in the two games at home for Minnesota, scoring 32 points in a Game 3 loss, then pouring in an efficient 36 in Game 4, knocking down some tough shots down the stretch to help the Timberwolves hold on for the win.
Coming into this series, Edwards wasn't expected to suit up until Game 3 or 4 at the earliest due to a hyperextended knee he suffered in the last round against the Denver Nuggets, but he defied those expectations by being available in Game 1, coming off the bench and scoring 18 points to help Minnesota steal home-court advantage immediately in the series.
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Since then, Edwards has only continued to look healthier, and although he hasn't fully recaptured his lethal first step or explosive leaping ability, he has still used his elite footwork, strength, and quickness to keep the Spurs' defense on its heels, at times resembling Michael Jordan in the later part of his career after his athleticism had started to diminish.
At this point, it would probably be unreasonable to expect Edwards to look like the best version of himself at any point in these playoffs, considering how severe the knee injury looked, as well as the fact that he's only getting one day off between games in this series. Still, the fact that he's already improved this much since Game 1, and is continuing to see his workload increase every night, should be enough to strike fear into the hearts of Spurs fans everywhere.
Thankfully for San Antonio, Wembanyama will be in the lineup for Game 5 after there was considerable speculation that the NBA might suspend him for his vicious elbow on Naz Reid. Wembanyama will try to make amends after costing his team big-time with the ejection. The Spurs actually played quite well for a quarter and a half without their best player, but they sure could have used him down the stretch, when their offense started to fall off the rails and the Timberwolves took control.
In order to retake control of the series on Wednesday night, priority number one for the Spurs will have to be stopping Edwards, who has proven on multiple occasions throughout his young career that he is not afraid of the big moments.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are getting ready to hit the floor for Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday evening. This series is currently all tied up at two games apiece after the Timberwolves rallied late to win Game 4 over the weekend following the ejection of Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.