There's nothing that hurts quite like having a hand in preventing a playoff defeat yet failing to do so. But on Tuesday night, that's exactly what Anthony Edwards went through, as he had a golden opportunity to send Game 5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves' first-round matchup against the Denver Nuggets to overtime with the one-seed leading by three, 112-109, in the dying embers of the contest.
With around two seconds left, the Timberwolves guard received the ball against a funky Nuggets zone defense and worked his way to a semi-open 3-pointer. Edwards has made more difficult shots before, so there definitely was a chance that the Timberwolves could have extended the series by at least five more minutes. However, Edwards clanked his shot off the back iron, sealing the Timberwolves' defeat.
Evidently, Anthony Edwards took the loss to heart, as he ran straight to the locker room as the buzzer sounded, contrary to the usual pleasantries in the NBA. At the end of a hard-fought series, players usually converge at center court and exchange high-fives, hugs, or handshakes. But Edwards, clearly, wasn't in such a congratulatory mood.
While some understood that the Timberwolves star is still reeling from the pain of defeat, some Nuggets fans believe that Edwards should have taken this loss to the chin and at least exchanged a few niceties with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and company.
Anthony Edwards going to the locker room after missing the shot pic.twitter.com/lRDXEBVga9
— John (@iam_johnw) April 26, 2023
Come on young fella. Hate what Anthony Edwards just did. Your a heck of a player a true star in the NBA, you lost to the #1 seed. There’s no shame in that. Gotta have better sportsmanship than that. Don’t run off the court to the locker room right after the game 🤦🏽♂️
— Orlando Franklin (@OFranklin74) April 26, 2023
I love Anthony Edwards but running to the locker and not shaking hands is not my favorite thing. He balled out, so did we… you should show some respect to your opponent as well. 🤷♂️
— Jokic Burner (2023 NBA Champions!) (@MikesMajorTakes) April 26, 2023
Anthony Edwards running into the locker room after bricking that 3 pic.twitter.com/qEKCbbfJMb
— Steven™ (@deadshot1455) April 26, 2023
At the very least, there were a few contrasting voices of reason that defended the Timberwolves star from accusations of being unsportsmanlike.
anthony edwards sportsmanship discourse for not shaking hands is going to be exhausting can we just skip it
— ziyan (@ziyanm_) April 26, 2023
Anthony Edwards is only 21 years old, so he'll have plenty of time to understand some of the unwritten rules that fans would wish he upheld on a more regular basis. But for now, fresh off a heartbreaking defeat, everyone is better off cutting him some slack.
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