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Anthony Edwards delivers game-winning block to finish 44-point performance

jack baer
Staff writer
·2 min read
34

The Minnesota Timberwolves started Thursday on a bad note. Anthony Edwards made sure they didn't on one too.

The All-Star tied his season high with 44 points against the Indiana Pacers, with his biggest play coming on defense as time expired. After splitting a pair of free throws to move the T-Wolves up 113-111, Edwards had to run back and find Aaron Nesmith in transition.

Nesmith appeared to have a clear path for a game-tying layup after getting around Mike Conley in the paint, and then Edwards came in from across the paint and rejected him hard enough to end the game.

How high did Edwards get up? Well, you might notice him hitting his head against the rim on that play.

He certainly did, as he told Bally Sports North after the game:

"I hit my head, I think on the rim. It's hurting real bad, and I landed on my wrist. I saw him in the lane, I knew he was going for the layup, but I was like, 'Man, I finna go get this.' I ain't never jumped that high in my life."

That was only the end of a full takeover by Edwards at the end of the game as well. Here's how every Timberwolves possession ended in the final 90 seconds of the game, a stretch that began with the game tied 105-105:

  • Edwards makes 3-pointer

  • Edwards makes 2-point jump shot

  • Edwards makes 2-point jump shot

  • Edwards makes 1 of 2 free throws

You can see them all here:

Edwards shot 18-of-35 from the field (3-of-7 from 3-point range) for the game with six rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks and zero turnovers.

With Karl-Anthony Towns out for the foreseeable future, the bulk of the work on offense for Minnesota will fall even more on Edwards as his team tries to keep pace in the playoff picture while waiting in hope their All-Star big man will return for the playoffs.

Not every day will be like Thursday, but it did show Edwards believes himself to be up to the challenge.