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Dave McMenamin
MINNEAPOLIS — Earlier than Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves received what he referred to as “the largest recreation of our profession” on Thursday, beating the Golden State Warriors 117-93 to even their Western Convention semifinals collection at 1-1, Edwards’ left ankle gave Wolves followers their largest scare of the season.
Edwards, already taking part in on a compromised ankle after hurting it in Sport 4 of the primary spherical towards the Los Angeles Lakers, needed to go away the sport halfway by way of the second quarter after reinjuring it when Warriors massive man Trayce Jackson-Davis stepped on him.
Jackson-Davis blocked Edwards’ shot on the rim with 6:03 remaining within the second quarter, sending him to the ground. With Edwards already beneath him, Jackson-Davis inadvertently landed on Edwards’ left ankle.
As play continued on the opposite facet of the court docket, Edwards remained on the ground. Wolves heart Rudy Gobert stopped the motion by fouling Warriors guard Jimmy Butler and Minnesota referred to as timeout with 5:56 left within the second, main 37-19.
Jaden McDaniels subbed in for Edwards, who exited by way of the tunnel reverse the Minnesota bench, helped by members of the Wolves’ medical employees.
“This one, I used to be actually frightened about, truly,” Wolves coach Chris Finch stated after the sport. “This one, I used to be actually planning on not seeing him the remainder of the sport, to be sincere with you.”
Minnesota protected its lead with Edwards out, with Golden State solely managing to chop the hole from 18 factors to 17 by halftime as Julius Randle scored 9 of his game-high 24 factors within the second quarter.
In the meantime, Edwards was attended to within the locker room by the Wolves’ vice chairman of medical operations and efficiency, David Hines. Hines guided Edwards by way of a collection of modalities to check out the ankle, on which he had nonetheless been receiving remedy because the Lakers collection, icing it after the Wolves’ Sport 1 loss.
“As soon as we bought to love the third motion in my ankle, I am like, ‘All proper, it is beginning to really feel good. If we tape it, I am going to see the way it feels,'” Edwards stated. “[Hines] does an incredible job of creating certain I am good earlier than I get on the market, so massive shoutout to David.”
Edwards, 23, performed even higher after the harm than he did earlier than it, scoring 13 of his 20 factors on 4-for-6 capturing after halftime and grabbing 5 of his 9 rebounds. He additionally had 5 assists, three steals and a block.
Edwards posted a team-best plus-minus of plus-21 in 34 minutes and obtained common reward from his teammates for the gutty efficiency.
“My man’s bought an immortal ankle,” Wolves ahead Josh Minott stated as Edwards was beginning his postgame interview with reporters within the locker room.
“He is one of many extra resilient those who I do know,” Wolves ahead Julius Randle informed ESPN. “Nothing holds him down. He by no means misses video games. For as a lot consideration and energy groups do to attempt to cease him, he is by no means one to sit down out a recreation. … I do not know, he is like Ironman. I’ve seen him get hit, get knocked down so many occasions. Higher off, he is like Wolverine. He will get harm and he does one thing within the again. I do not know what the hell he does … however he comes out and he balls. That is what he does.”
The compliments reached Paul Bunyan-esque proportions as Edwards added to his rising legacy Thursday, serving to the Wolves keep away from an 0-2 gap towards a extra skilled Golden State workforce.
“He at all times finds a approach,” stated Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who scored 20 factors off the bench. “One factor about Ant, he isn’t going to sit down out. He is bought to be damn-near useless.”
Added McDaniels, who had 16 factors on 7-for-10 capturing, three blocks and three steals: “He is bought to have his leg chopped off or some s— [to come out].”
Edwards was extra vital of his recreation, mentioning the alley-oop that Randle threw him within the third quarter for certainly one of his game-high 11 assists and saying he ought to have dunked it however needed to lay it in as a result of he did not soar excessive sufficient.
He additionally stated he needs to be higher at scoring across the basket on the whole, after going 2-for-4 on 3s and 4-for-9 on 2s in Sport 2.
“They let me get to the rim, and I am not ending, so it is type of bizarre,” Edwards stated. “I’ve bought to get again to engaged on my ending and cease engaged on my 3s, as a result of they are not letting me shoot 3s.”
Edwards vowed to be within the lineup for Sport 3 in San Francisco on Saturday, with an opportunity to go up within the collection with Warriors star Stephen Curry sidelined indefinitely with a strained left hamstring.
“That one was loopy,” Edwards stated of his ankle sprain. “However I will be all proper.”