Anthony Edwards Faces a Defining Moment Against OKC: Will He Rise or Falter?

There’s something downright fascinating about Anthony Edwards’ season—five times he’s logged over 35 minutes with fewer than 13 shot attempts. You’d think that’s a recipe for struggle, right? Well, get this: The sole victory during those rare stretches? Edwards was under the weather, battling sickness. And if that’s not enough drama, in another game, frustration boiled over so much that he flipped off officials multiple times, landing himself a $50,000 fine. Now, here’s the kicker—every single other time, Edwards was squared off against the defensive fortress that is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This team’s relentless physicality and smart defensive scheming have been nothing short of a nightmare for Edwards and the Timberwolves. The Thunder’s tactics—doubling Edwards on every drive, suffocating passing lanes, and racking up turnovers—have dictated Minnesota’s fate in the playoffs. It’s a chess match that’s testing Edwards’ young star power, revealing just how brutal the NBA spotlight can be when you’re the guy everyone wants to stop.

If you want to unpack this saga—Edwards’ highs, lows, and what it means for Minnesota’s future—you can’t miss the full story. <a href="https://stathead.com/basketball/player-game-finder.cgi?request=1&playerid=edwaran01&timeframe=seasons&comptype=E&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=35&cstat%5B1%5D=mp&ccomp%5B2%5D=lt&cval%5B2%5D=13&cstat%5B2%5D=fga”>LEARN MOREThe Wolves did this to great effect in Game 4, as their role players shot a combined 17-of-31 from 3 (55%), and as a team they scored 129.9 points per 100 possessions, equivalent to the greatest offense ever. They did not win, since they committed 23 turnovers and allowed 19 offensive rebounds. You cannot expect to win when you give a team of OKC’s caliber that many extra possessions, and still the Wolves almost did.On five occasions this season, Anthony Edwards has played more than 35 minutes and attempted 13 or fewer shots. The one time his Minnesota Timberwolves won, he was sick. In another instance, he was so angry with the officials that he flipped them off on multiple occasions, earning himself a ,000 fine.”I don’t look at it like I struggled, or [Julius Randle] struggled,” Edwards said of Game 4. “They had a good game plan, making us get off the ball. Especially for me, man. They were super in the gaps, I made the right play all night, so I don’t really look at it like I struggled. I didn’t get enough shots to say I struggled, so that might be how you guys look at it. But, yeah, I didn’t struggle at all. I just made the right play.”

“I don’t look at it like I struggled, or [Julius Randle] struggled,” Edwards said of Game 4. “They had a good game plan, making us get off the ball. Especially for me, man. They were super in the gaps, I made the right play all night, so I don’t really look at it like I struggled. I didn’t get enough shots to say I struggled, so that might be how you guys look at it. But, yeah, I didn’t struggle at all. I just made the right play.”

“I don’t look at it like I struggled, or [Julius Randle] struggled,” Edwards said of Game 4. “They had a good game plan, making us get off the ball. Especially for me, man. They were super in the gaps, I made the right play all night, so I don’t really look at it like I struggled. I didn’t get enough shots to say I struggled, so that might be how you guys look at it. But, yeah, I didn’t struggle at all. I just made the right play.”

“I don’t look at it like I struggled, or [Julius Randle] struggled,” Edwards said of Game 4. “They had a good game plan, making us get off the ball. Especially for me, man. They were super in the gaps, I made the right play all night, so I don’t really look at it like I struggled. I didn’t get enough shots to say I struggled, so that might be how you guys look at it. But, yeah, I didn’t struggle at all. I just made the right play.”

“I don’t look at it like I struggled, or [Julius Randle] struggled,” Edwards said of Game 4. “They had a good game plan, making us get off the ball. Especially for me, man. They were super in the gaps, I made the right play all night, so I don’t really look at it like I struggled. I didn’t get enough shots to say I struggled, so that might be how you guys look at it. But, yeah, I didn’t struggle at all. I just made the right play.”

It does not help that Edwards’ jump shot has abandoned him. During the regular season, he shot 36.8% on a handful of pull-up 3-point attempts per game. That equated to 1.104 points per possession, better than the best half-court offenses in the league. In the playoffs, he is 16-for-60 (27%) on pull-up 3s, which has translated to 0.8 points per possession, worse than the worst half-court-offenses in the league.Advertisement”They’re super physical,” he told reporters of a Thunder team that led the NBA in defensive rating. “They foul you everywhere, every time down, and we have to be able to fight through that and play through it.”Advertisement