Anthony Edwards did not treat the Minnesota Timberwolvesâ Game 4 win like a clean escape.
The Timberwolves star scored 36 points, including 16 points in the fourth quarter, as Minnesota beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-109 on Sunday, May 10, tying the Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2. But afterward, Edwards made it clear he thought the Wolves should have handled the night better after Victor Wembanyama was ejected in the second quarter.
âWe gotta capitalize when Wemby got threw out of the game,â Edwards told NBC after the win. âWe came out thinking like it was going to be easy, but those guys are really good even without Wemby. We just had to play hard. I had to just take it upon myself and try to get us this win.â
That became the real story of the night for Minnesota. Wembanyama was ejected after officials reviewed an elbow that struck Naz Reid and upgraded the play to a Flagrant 2. The Spurs star left with four points, four rebounds and one assist in 12 minutes, with San Antonio trailing by just two at the time.
The Timberwolves had every reason to take control from there. Instead, the Spurs stayed close enough to force Edwards into rescue mode.
Anthony Edwards Said âSmall-Time Playsâ Saved Timberwolves
Edwardsâ strongest postgame message was not about his scoring.
âSmall-time plays win you big-time games,â Edwards told NBC. âAnd thatâs what we needed, man. Diving on the floor. Offensive rebounds.â
That line fits the way Game 4 turned. Minnesota did not simply win because Wembanyama was unavailable. The Wolves had to survive a tense fourth quarter, and Edwards had to provide the offensive separation late.
According to ESPN, Edwardsâ 36-point night marked his 18th career playoff game with at least 30 points. All other players in Timberwolves history have combined for 17 such games.
That stat explains why Minnesotaâs margin for error is still tied so closely to Edwards. Even with Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Reid and Mike Conley around him, the Wolves are still at their most dangerous when Edwards is controlling late possessions and forcing defensive reactions.
It also explains why his self-critique matters. Edwards was not just celebrating a tied series. He was pointing out that Minnesota almost let an undermanned Spurs team steal a game that should have tilted heavily toward the Wolves after Wembanyamaâs ejection.
Victor Wembanyamaâs Ejection Changed Game 4
Wembanyamaâs exit was the obvious turning point, but it did not erase the Spursâ structure.
San Antonio entered Game 4 leading the series 2-1 after Wembanyama posted 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in Game 3, a performance Reuters noted put him in rare NBA playoff company.
Without him, the Spurs lost their most important rim protector and offensive pressure point. But Minnesota still had to deal with a San Antonio team that could space the floor, move the ball and make the Wolves defend without assuming the game was already decided.
That is why Edwardsâ postgame comments landed. He sounded less interested in the fact that Minnesota won than in how close the Wolves came to giving back a series-altering opportunity.
He also joked about one late play that he could not quite finish the way he wanted.
âI told the rookie the last couple possessions before at the end of the game, that if I had my legs, he would have been dunked on,â Edwards told NBC. âHe knew that though.â
It was classic Edwards: confident, funny and still competitive enough to turn a missed highlight into a message.
Timberwolves-Spurs Game 5 Now Has Massive Stakes
The series now shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday, May 12, with both teams tied at 2-2. Game 6 is scheduled for Friday, May 15, in Minnesota.
That makes Edwardsâ warning to his own team timely. The Wolves did what they needed to do in Game 4, but they did not make it easy. If Wembanyama is available for Game 5, Minnesota will have to solve a much harder version of the Spurs than the one it struggled to close out Sunday.
There is also the league review piece. The Flagrant 2 brings automatic consequences and review, though no Game 5 suspension had been announced immediately after the ejection.
For Minnesota, the bigger takeaway is internal. Edwards is back carrying star-level playoff usage after his recent knee issue, and the Wolves are still alive because he gave them a fourth-quarter answer.
But his own words made clear that he does not think that formula is enough by itself.
Minnesota tied the series because Edwards dominated. It may need a more complete version of the Timberwolves to take control of it.
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