Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves lead the series 3-1 against the Lakers.
When the Lakers acquired Luka Dončić back in early February, the expectations for the season skyrocketed and anything short of a run to the Western Conference Finals would be a surprise. The Minnesota Timberwolves certainly had something to say about that, and they’re proving it on the court with a commanding 3-1 lead in this First Round series.
Anthony Edwards has taken his game to another level, and not just statistically. As the superstar and leader of his team at age 23, ‘Ant-Man’ is doing everything in his power to instill an alpha-type confidence in each of his teammates. During interviews, he always gives a shout-out to at least one of his guys and their performance, giving examples of specific plays or moments that sparked momentum in the Wolves’ favor. Jaden McDaniels, his teammate of five years now in Minnesota, is often on the receiving end of the hype from Edwards.
Ant backs up his talk and leadership on the hardwood, too. He’s demanded the best of himself not only on offense, but as the point-of-attack on defense at times as well.
Edwards has fiercely guarded both Dončić and LeBron James throughout the series while still averaging nearly 30 points a night. In 40.5 minutes per game, he’s fifth in scoring in the Playoffs at 29.8 on shooting splits of 45.2% FG / 43.2% 3P / 82.6% FT, along with 7.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and just 1.5 turnovers. It’s a small sample size compared to 2023-24, but he’s more than halved his mistakes from last postseason in identical playing time.
With the pressure mounting in clutch time, Edwards has shone even brighter on every occasion. In Game 3, while knotted at 103, Ant scored or assisted on every basket of a 13-1 Wolves’ flurry over the final 4:37 and forced a turnover on Rui Hachimura to cement their 116-104 victory. In Game 4, when Minnesota trailed by 10, he dropped 16 of his game- and series-high 43 points in the fourth quarter while hounding both James and Dončić on the defensive end.
That intensity with the game on the line has resulted in a 105-69 advantage in fourth-quarter scoring for Minnesota. They’ve held the Lakers to under 20 points in three out of four final frames, with L.A.’s 20 in Game 3 being the most. Despite all of Ant-Man’s highlighted heroics, it has truly been a team effort for the Wolves.
Julius Randle is enjoying the best postseason of his 11-year career in his third playoff appearance. He’s been a force both inside and out with 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on shooting splits of 47.6% FG / 45.5% 3P / 83.3% FT. McDaniels, in addition to being tasked with primarily defending Dončić, is putting up 19.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals while shooting 57.9% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range.
Naz Reid, the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year last season, is outscoring the Lakers’ reserves by himself with 13.8 PPG on 55.9% shooting and 52.4% from three (on 5.3 attempts). He’s been lights out in fourth quarters throughout the series, scoring 6.5 points in 7.3 minutes on unreal splits of 90.0% FG / 100.0% 3P / 100.0% FT.
As a team, Minnesota is getting whatever it wants on offense and playing to its strengths on defense. They’re scoring 48.5 points in the paint (3rd) while limiting Los Angeles to 33.5 (tied for 1st), and the Timberwolves are first in second chance points (18.5), second in fast break points (17.0), and third in points off turnovers (19.5).
The Wolves have been elite on defense by holding the Lakers to an average of just 35-for-79 (44.3%) from the field. They rank first in opponent-made field goals (35.0), fifth in field goal percentage, third in points off turnovers (10.5), and are tied for third in fast break points surrendered (9.3). They’ve been tenacious in forcing 14.5 turnovers (tied for 4th) while remaining disciplined with only 10.8 giveaways (3rd).
Minnesota has its pack leader in Anthony Edwards. His sky-high confidence and demeanor have resonated with this roster, and it’s showing itself on the court. The Timberwolves are oozing with fearless determination that has them up 3-1 and looking to close out the Lakers in Game 5 tonight.
