After a 116-104 win in Game 3, the Minnesota Timberwolves are up 2-1 against the Los Angeles Lakers – hasn’t anyone figured it out yet? It’s not that complicated; the only way for an opponent to quiet Anthony Edwards is to eliminate him from the playoffs.
Edwards can be up by 20 points or down by 20, but if he does something cool, Ant will definitely let you know. That’s just who he is. The same Edwards who chirped at the Los Angeles Lakers’ bench whenever he scored down double figures in Game 2 is the exact same player up by 10 points, making a notorious laser-focused LeBron James grin for an extended amount of time in Game 3.
Ant’s confidence is awe-inspiring and unique. He probably did a backflip when he toasted a Pop-Tart for the first time as a kid. He probably even ran around Atlanta claiming he was the breakfast champion of the universe.
While Edwards was a tot conquering toaster pastries, James was busy scoring 25 straight points in a victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Nearly 20 years later, that version of James showed up against the Wolves in Game 3, scoring a game-high 38 points. However, Ant, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and the rest of the Timberwolves held strong at home, securing the win.
Ant-Man hit clutch shots in the fourth while scoring 29 points and got back on track, facilitating the offense with his eight assists. At 23, he has solidified himself as a franchise player; however, he cannot win alone. He might not even be the star of this series.
Enter McDaniels.
The 6’9” versatile defender is now making a national audience recognize his growth on the offensive side. King James is definitely aware of his expanded game.
“You’re only as good as your teammates allow you to be,” James said after the game. “Obviously, you know how much praise I have for Ant and his development over the years.
“We had a hell of a summer, and I love everything about Ant. But in the course of a playoff series and things of that nature, you have your guys step up for you; it allows you to crack the seams of defenses throughout the course of the game.
“I thought the game ball went to Jaden McDaniels. He had 30, and he was aggressive from the start to the finish.”
McDaniels scored a team-high 30 points and has been an unsung hero and rising star in Minnesota’s wins in this series. Julius Randle has also been an efficient scorer. He had 22 points on only 13 field-goal attempts in Game 3. He was the only glimmer in the Wolves’ Game 2 loss, scoring 27 points on 17 attempts from the field. Randle and McDaniels were effective on the defensive side as well.
“[McDaniels] flow, everything is super aggressive, we found him,” said coach Chris Finch after the victory. “I thought he and Julius did an excellent job setting the tone today, just being aggressive, playing with a lot of force.
“Then battling their matchup, of course, they had two tough matchups out there, and just fighting, fighting, and fighting. They got a heck of a game going, and you know, Julius is battling them and we got them to miss at the right time down the stretch and fortunately drop.”
The Wolves have won eight out of 12 quarters in this series. They got off to their best start thus far, didn’t have to overcome a grueling first-quarter deficit, and held strong throughout the game. The theme of the night kept circling back to that same Timberwolves forward.
“I got two words for you. Jaden McDaniels,” said a gushing Edwards about his teammate’s stellar role in Game 3. “It’s just that simple. He’s been incredible for us all year.”
The Timberwolves are now up 2-1 with momentum. Their defense is going strong, their bench is finding rhythm, and they are due for a breakout performance at any moment.
The Wolves also have Game 4 on their home court.
Their very loud home court.
“It was fun. I’m not going to lie, this was the best,” added Edwards. “It was so loud in there when Julius got his first basket, I couldn’t hear the play. I couldn’t hear Rudy saying ‘screen, left set.’ I couldn’t hear anything. It was so loud in there. That was probably the most fun I’ve had in Target Center for sure.”
Luka Doncic was reportedly battling an illness before and during Game 3. He was not much of a factor and scored only 17 points. It was the first time in eight postseason games that Doncic (including with the Dallas Mavericks last season) didn’t score at least 28 points against the Timberwolves.
“He hasn’t been feeling well for the past 24 hours,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I don’t know how much he slept last night. He didn’t feel well last night. His stomach was bothering him. He was vomiting all afternoon. I’m not sure what happened at halftime. I’ll find out, but really under the weather.”
Doncic, James, Edwards, and the stars on every NBA team are elite talents and enjoyable to watch. However, in the NBA playoffs, a McDaniels or another role player is just as vital en route to a championship.
