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Time for Anthony Edwards to Earn His NBA Superstar Label – Timberwolves vs Thunder (Gm 3)
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- Time for Anthony Edwards to Earn His NBA Superstar Label – Timberwolves vs Thunder (Gm 3)
Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
On Saturday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves will play in one of the most important basketball games in franchise history. After the Thunder took both games in Oklahoma City , Anthony Edwards & Co. head back to Minneapolis down 0-2 and already on the Western Conference Finals ropes.
Now, it's fight or flight time for the Timberwolves. Losing game three Saturday night is not an option if this team wants to retain any realistic hope of flipping this series. Outside of an elimination game, you don't more "must-win" than what the Wolves face tonight.
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WCF (Gm 3) is MUST-WIN for Minnesota Timberwolves
If they lose, this series is all but over. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this iteration of the Minnesota Timberwolves is not going to become the FIRST NBA TEAM EVER to come back from a 0-3 playoff deficit .
Yes, you read that right. The NBA is 77 years old and there have been 159 playoff series in that time where teams have jumped out to a 3-0 lead. And not one time in 159 opportunities has anyone successfully completed a 0-3 series comeback.
Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
In fact, only THREE teams in NBA history have recovered from a 0-3 playoff deficit, to force a deciding game seven (before ultimately losing) — 1951 Knicks (vs Rochester Royals ), 1993 Trail Blazers (vs Mavericks ), 2023 Celtics (vs Heat).
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Through two games of the 2025 Western Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been outplayed by the Oklahoma City Thunder in just about every facet of the series, especially in the second half of both games, where the Thunder have outscored the Wolves 130-93.
With plenty of help from his referee friends, newly named 2024-25 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken over this series, scoring 31 points (11/14 FT) in game one and 38 points (13/15 FT) in game two . His phony superpower to deceive referees, combined with unbelievable skill have made him all but impossible to stop so far in this series.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over his last 5 games:
38 PTS – 3 REB – 8 AST
31 PTS – 5 REB – 9 AST
35 PTS – 3 REB – 4 AST
32 PTS – 6 AST – 69% FG
31 PTS – 6 REB – 7 AST
Appreciate greatness 🔥
(Via @realapp_ ) pic.twitter.com/3fGn59EVC8— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 23, 2025
Anthony Edwards is the Timberwolves' only hope.
So… how do the Minnesota Timberwolves turn this series around? Well, it won't be easy and any hope they still have of making things interesting resides with our young superstar, Anthony Edwards.
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For the past two years, NBA pundits have argued about whether or not Anthony Edwards is the next face of the league, even "the next Jordan". But so far in this series, and throughout too many games in his playoff career, Ant has come up short.
Related: Most Still Ignore SGA's Phony Superpower, but the Real Ones Know…
That has proven especially true in this series, where Edwards — who is averaging 25 points, 9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in this series (26.2 PTS, 8.2 REB, 5.7 AST in the 2025 playoffs ) has been limited to just 44% from the field and 23.5% from deep vs the Thunder.
Ant has repeatedly voiced frustration over a difficulty in getting to his spots, against the swarming OKC defense. For those who know Edwards' game, that essentially means he's struggling to find room for his lethal dribble-drives to the hoop.
🔒 Après Nikola Jokic , Anthony Edwards.
Alex Caruso 🥚, 𝗟𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗘́𝗙𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗨𝗥 de ces playoffs ? pic.twitter.com/llSdhu28UE— Basket USA 🏀 (@basketusa) May 21, 2025
"The 27 points [Anthony Edwards has] been averaging, that's not going to cut the mustard. He's gotta average 35-40 for them to even stand a chance." @KendrickPerkins has the Thunder winning this series in six games or fewer 😯 pic.twitter.com/zRpMw7s0rW
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 21, 2025
But the time for frustrations and "figuring things out" is over. It's time for Anthony Edwards to do whatever it takes in order to get this series back on track. The time for being a good teammate has come and gone. "Making the right play" is out the window.
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Saturday night might as well be do-or-die. Anthony Edwards needs to hit the floor tonight, ready to put up 75 points, if that's what it takes to get a victory. Ant needs to feel things out in the first quarter. Give the struggling Naz Reid , Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Donte DiVincenzo a few opportunities, early on.
Time for Anthony Edwards to channel his inner Kobe , MJ…
If they do not cash in, or should those role players go cold at any point during the game, then Edwards needs to channel his inner 2005-06 Kobe Bryant. Not late-career Kobe, who like to get his teammates involved.
No, I'm talking about the 27-year-old, I'm the best player in the world and the ball needs to be in my hands at all times Kobe, who took over 27 shots per game and scored a league-high 35.4 points per game.
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Bryant averaged just over 25 points per playoff game in his NBA career . But out of the 43 postseason series he played in, Kobe put up over 30 points per game in only 12 of them… and the Lakers won NINE of those twelve series.
On this day in 2008, 2009, & 2010, Kobe Bryant advanced to 3 straight NBA Finals, by beating the Spurs , Nuggets , and Suns
Kobe in the Closeout Games:
2008: 39 Points
2009: 35 Points
2010: 37 Points
Here's some Highlights from those 3 Legendary Games pic.twitter.com/J6B80vq8in— KBs GOAT (@KbsGoat) May 29, 2023
Want the Michael Jordan comp? MJ averaged an absurd 33.4 points in the 37 playoff series he participated in from 1985-1998. He put up 45 PPG twice, once in 1988 against the Cavs , the other in 1992 vs the Heat. Jordan's Bulls won both of those series.
Related: Timberwolves Big Man Rudy Gobert Narrowly Makes Another NBA All-Defensive Team
During Michael Jordan's career , the Chicago Bulls went 24-4 in playoff series where MJ averaged 30 or more points per game. In series where MJ averaged less than 30 in the postseason, the Bulls finished 6-3. The greatest of all time show up for their team in the biggest moments, especially in the points column. And that's what wins.
Michael Jordan becomes the first player in NBA history with back-to-back 50-point playoff games 🐐 pic.twitter.com/7ROaBeiZke
— Fastbreak Hoops (@FastbreakHoops5) August 25, 2024
The MN Timberwolves need Ant and they need him now.
I know Anthony Edwards considers himself a student of the game. That means he should know that, historically speaking, great teams only become great because their superstars take over in the NBA Playoffs, whenever necessary.
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And so far in his young professional career, Ant has yet to prove he's willing/capable of doing that, when it's required. Tonight, he needs to change that narrative because the Minnesota Timberwolves chances at an NBA Finals appearance hinges on an Edwards takeover. If he can't do it, this series is over. He clearly knows that.
Anthony Edwards reportedly stayed up until 3AM watching Game 1 film with an assistant coach, per @MarcJSpears 👀
(h/t @ClutchPoints ) pic.twitter.com/lLHfqX6huE— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 22, 2025
So no more, "they won't let me get to my spots". Nobody let Jordan or Kobe get to their spots in the playoffs either. But guess what, they did it anyway. So how big time are you, Anthony Edwards? Do you have what it takes to be great? Can you handle all that superstar smoke? We're about to find out.
