Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards seems to have an issue with the free throw disparity in their Game 3 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks took 31 freebies and made 26 of them. On the other hand, the Timberwolves just had 17 attempts from the charity stripe and made 12. Considering that Minnesota lost 116-107, that 14-point difference in both free throw attempts and makes certainly made a huge difference.
Edwards pointed that out in his postgame presser in Dallas when asked if there's anything particular from the box score that stands out to him. The Timberwolves star was quick to highlight the disparity.
“31 to 17. They had 31 free throws, we had 17,” Edwards shared, clearly frustrated by the officiating.
Mike Conley also shared the same opinion, although he clarified that their issue is more on with how the Mavs were officiated. Conley admitted that most of his foul calls were correct, but the problem is the Mavs appeared to have more leeway when it comes to the whistles on them.
“They did a great job tonight, we just ask for the same calls,” Conley explained. “Honestly, a lot of my fouls were fouls. But it's about consistency on both ends. That's all that we ask for at the end of the day.”
The Mavericks got a lot of trips to the charity stripe in the third quarter when they made 17 attempts and connected 14. The Timberwolves were 3-of-3 from the free throw line in the same quarter. Despite that, Minnesota was still able to outscore Dallas in the period, 35-27. It allowed the Timberwolves to tie the game at 87-87 after trailing by as much as 12 points earlier in the game, though it's definitely worth wondering if the Wolves would have gotten the lead by then if not for the free throw disparity.
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves not panicking despite 3-0 deficit
Despite the massive hole they are facing, however, Anthony Edwards is not getting discouraged at all. Ant-Man is maintaining a positive mindset as he and the Timberwolves take it one game at a time in a bid to come back from the 3-0 deficit against the Mavericks.
“I never think the sky is falling. I'm always positive. I'm always happy. I've been through the worst, so the sky is never falling for me,” Edwards said of his mentality.
The Timberwolves really need that kind of thinking if they are to come back from the massive hole they are in. Of course until the Mavericks reach four wins, the series is not over. Nonetheless, it's easier said than done, especially if you look at NBA history.
No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit and won the series in the NBA Playoffs. NONE. Out of the 154 teams that have fallen to a 3-0 hole in the postseason, only four teams were able to force a Game 7, but none of them were able to complete the comeback. The last team to do so was the Boston Celtics in the 2023 East Finals, but they still ended up losing to the Miami Heat.
Only 11 teams were able to force a Game 6 after facing a 3-0 deficit, with the Toronto Raptors the last team to do so in 2022.
So what the Timberwolves are facing right now is not only difficult, but it's also near impossible to pull off. The odds are stacked against them, and they will need a miracle to just do it.
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