Anthony Edwards outduels Nikola Jokic as Wolves take Game 1

DENVER — In case you requested one other younger star what it felt like to enter the defending champs’ constructing and put up a profession playoff-high 43 factors in a 106-99 Recreation 1 win to tip off the second spherical, he would possibly name it a press release efficiency.

If he was actually feeling himself, he would possibly say Saturday evening represented a seismic shift within the stability of energy within the Western Convention with the Minnesota Timberwolves stealing house court docket away from the Denver Nuggets.

Nonetheless, Anthony Edwards is not like another younger star as we speak. He won’t be like another younger star in league historical past.

“It isn’t about introducing ourselves to no one. We all know who we’re,” Edwards mentioned when requested about Minnesota enjoying previous the primary spherical of the playoffs for the primary time in 20 years. “We’re popping out and so long as we received one another’s backs, it do not actually matter what anyone else thinks.”

Edwards joked that he won’t even have been born when Kevin Garnett and the Wolves beat the Sacramento Kings within the second spherical in 2004 to make the one convention finals look in franchise historical past.

No matter previous woes that Wolves have had within the postseason, the present crew is having a second. It is now 5-0 within the playoffs, together with a sweep of the Phoenix Suns within the first spherical, with Edwards becoming a member of Kobe Bryant as the one different participant in NBA postseason historical past with consecutive 40-point performances at age 22 or youthful, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Data analysis.

Edwards’ 119 factors over his previous three playoff video games are essentially the most by a Wolves participant over a three-game span within the crew’s postseason historical past. And he did it Saturday by outplaying the reigning NBA Finals MVP — and a top-three finalist for the regular-season MVP this yr — in Nikola Jokic.

“To be sincere, he is a particular participant, I’ve big respect for him, he can do all the pieces on the ground,” Jokic mentioned of Edwards. “You have to give him respect, how good and the way proficient he’s.”

Jokic completed with 32 factors, 9 assists, 8 rebounds and three steals, however he shot simply 11-for-25 from the sphere (2-for-9 from 3) and coughed up a game-high 7 turnovers. When requested how he could possibly be higher in opposition to the Wolves’ three-headed entrance line of Karl-Anthony Cities, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid in Recreation 2, Jokic quipped he would want to “have a reproduction clone of myself.”

Edwards, in the meantime, shot 17-for-29 with 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks and simply 1 turnover. Much more exceptional, he shot 7-for-10 on closely contested bounce photographs in Recreation 1, in accordance with Second Spectrum. This postseason, he is taking pictures 53% on closely contested jumpers, the very best within the NBA.

Regardless of the disparity in manufacturing between the 2 stars, Edwards nonetheless deferred to the opponent, whereas giving credit score to his teammates for the end result.

“Going in opposition to the very best participant on this planet is at all times enjoyable, going in opposition to the very best crew on this planet is at all times enjoyable,” Edwards mentioned. “Our guys got here out and competed tonight. So, it isn’t about me personally, it is about my crew. They offer me confidence additionally.”

Edwards was excellent from the sphere to start out issues off, going 5-for-5 throughout the Wolves’ 18-4 run within the first seven minutes of the primary quarter. The Nuggets battled again to take a 44-40 lead by halftime, holding each Minnesota participant aside from Edwards to only 6-for-27 taking pictures (22.2%). The Wolves pushed again forward within the third whereas Edwards mentioned he “did not do something” and “was simply on the market operating up and down” whereas Cities went 5-for-5 to attain 11 of his 20 factors and Mike Conley went 4-for-4 to attain 11 of his 14.

The fourth belonged to Edwards and Reid, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Yr. Edwards, who was held scoreless within the fourth quarter in each of the Wolves’ regular-season losses to Denver, scored 12 factors on 4-for-5 taking pictures to shut issues out. Reid scored 14 of his 16 within the fourth — together with 10 straight for the Wolves — to seal it.

“For a man like me who’s seen him develop from day one to the place he’s now, I believe he is a celebrity within the making if he is not [already] now,” Reid mentioned of Edwards. “He is an amazing participant and an amazing particular person off the court docket. … He is a man you need to be round.”

And Minnesota plans to stay across the playoffs for some time to come back, as evidenced by the “11” written in large black numerals on the whiteboard within the guests locker room at Ball Enviornment after the sport. It represents the variety of wins the Wolves nonetheless have to seize the primary championship in crew historical past this spring.

“He is been rising each day, he is been getting extra mature each single evening,” Gobert mentioned of Edwards. “So it is enjoyable to be part of.”