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The Minnesota Timberwolves continue to respond. On the heels of a somewhat concerning Game 1 loss to the Golden State Warriors– Stephen Curry suffered a hamstring injury and only played 13 minutes– they came out strong in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Julius Randle continued his impressive postseason, tallying 24 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in a 117-93 victory. Anthony Edwards scored 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting, but his most notable trait arguably did not even show up in the box score.
Following a scary moment in which Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis stepped on his left ankle in the second quarter, Edwards headed to the locker room in visible discomfort. Fans fretted over the potential loss of the franchise keystone, bracing themselves for him getting ruled out for the remainder of the must-win contest. He returned to action after halftime, however, amazing his teammates with his competitive spirit and durability.
Some players do not consider Edwards to be human, marveling at his ability to push through the pain and rejoin his squad on the floor.
Anthony Edwards astonishes his Timberwolves teammates
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“Superman, for real,” breakout playoff performer Jaden McDaniels said postgame, per the Timberwolves Clips X account, after adding 16 points, three blocks and three steals in the win. He then used some NSFW language to further illustrate Edwards' on-court toughness. “I’ve seen it before, he’s gotta have his leg chopped off or some s**t.”
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who dropped 20 points and made four 3-pointers in 26 minutes off the bench, echoed the sentiment. Randle called him Wolverine, sticking with the apparent superhero theme of the evening. Here's the thing, though. Anthony Edwards has hardly even donned the cape during these NBA playoffs. If he can consistently find his star form on offense, the Timberwolves could become truly frightening.
The three-time All-Star left a definite imprint in Game 2, though. He was one rebound shy of a double-double and also recorded five assists, three steals and one block. Like a true team centerpiece, Edwards can contribute even when he is not knocking down shots. But he will need to boost his 41.8 postseason field goal percentage if Minnesota hopes to outdo last year's Western Conference Finals effort.
First, the Wolves have to reclaim home-court advantage and take at least one game from the Warriors on the road. Edwards has less than two days to nurse his ankle before charging into Game 3.
