Despite being in just his third year, Anthony Edwards is one of the most confident players in the league. That quality typically shines through in off-court interviews and on the offensive end, but on Monday night, his belief in his defense helped save the game for the Minnesota Timberwolves in their 124-121 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
For most of the night, the Timberwolves were sailing along smoothly. They jumped out to an early double-digit lead in the first quarter and pushed their advantage to 26 points late in the third. In the fourth quarter, though, Kyrie Irving took over and poured in 26 points by himself in the frame. With 14.9 seconds remaining, the Mavs had the ball and were down three with a chance to tie.
At that point, the Wolves had the decision to make. Would they play it out or foul to send the Mavs to the line and prevent a potential game-tying shot? They decided on the former and devised a stunning defensive possession to secure the win.
The work started before the ball was even inbounded, as Jaden McDaniels moved Luka Doncic off his spot and forced a tough pass — one he was able to deflect into the backcourt. Though Doncic recovered the ball, it cost the Mavericks precious time and foreshadowed how the rest of the possession would go. Three times in a row, the Mavericks tried and failed to create space for a 3-pointer, but each time they were smothered. First, Edwards on Irving, then McDaniels on Doncic, then a combination of the two on Irving. The Mavericks never got a shot off, and Irving eventually turned it over.
As it turned out, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch had asked the team if they wanted to foul; Edwards wouldn’t have it.
“Man, they got hot at the end of the game,” Edwards said. “We had to try and calm them down. Me and Jaden, coach asked did we want to foul. I said, ‘Man, let’s get a stop’. This what me and Jaden out here for; we out here to get a stop. So put us on the best two players and see what we do.”
This has been a frustrating season for the Wolves, at least relative to…
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