Anthony Edwards willed the Minnesota Timberwolves to a Game 1 victory over the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Saturday at Ball Arena.
Edwards found 43 points in the 106-99 win. In his 16th career playoff game, has now has three 40-point games. There have been two other combined such games in franchise history (both by Sam Cassell in 2004).
At 22 years and 273 days, Edwards becomes the second-youngest player in NBA history with consecutive 40-point playoff games after scoring 40 versus the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 of the first-round sweep. Only Kobe Bryant (22 years, 269 days in 2001) did so at a younger age. In that playoff run, Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers won the second of three straight titles.
Anthony Edwards. CLUTCH 💰 pic.twitter.com/lTvLiqGxJz
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 5, 2024
Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 99
Series: Minnesota leads 1-0
Game 2: Monday in Denver
Edwards’ Jordanesque performance
Edwards was the best player in a series that included Kevin Durant. He couldn’t be the best player in a series that includes Nikola Jokic, can he? CAN he?
In Game 1, he was. Edwards scored 43 points, hitting all manner of Jordanesque jumpers down the stretch to put the Timberwolves up 1-0 on the defending champions and the presumptive MVP. He also grabbed seven rebounds and iced the game with a coast-to-coast drive to the basket in the closing seconds to cap a jaw-dropping performance.
The Timberwolves’ best chance to win this series figured to be a strength in numbers approach. They certainly got other contributions, including 20 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and 16 from Naz Reid, 14 of them coming in the fourth quarter. But Edwards drove the win. He made 17 of 29 shots and the Nuggets had now answer for him. If he is the best player in THIS series, the Timberwolves are in great shape. — Jon Krawczynski, Timberwolves beat writer
Sunday’s playoff schedule:
- Magic at Cavs: 1 p.m. ET, ABC (Series tied 3-3)
Required reading
(Photo: Justin Tafoya / NBAE via Getty Images)
