Anthony Edwards and the T-wolves again enter the summer focused on the final 2 steps to an NBA title
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — For all the strides the Minnesota Timberwolves have made since they drafted Anthony Edwards first overall five years ago, a once-woebegone franchise now playing deep into the playoffs as a habit and not a hiccup, a noticeable gap remains between them and an NBA title.
Reaching the last two Western Conference finals, particularly this spring after a surprise shuffle of the roster right before training camp and the pains of adjustments and injuries throughout the regular season, was a remarkable accomplishment. The last team to appear in two in a row was Golden State in 2018 and 2019.
Edwards will turn 24 in about two months, a superstar only beginning his prime years with a handful of mid-20s role players around him. But the five-game defeat delivered in machine-like fashion by Oklahoma City raised fair questions about whether these Timberwolves can clear two more hurdles to win their first championship.
'Nobody's going to work harder than me this summer. I'll tell you that much,' Edwards said after the 30-point loss on Wednesday that ended the series in five games.
The offseason commitment has never been in question for Edwards, whose set career highs in 2024-25 in points per game (27.6), 3-point shooting percentage (39.5) and free-throw shooting percentage (83.7) while playing in 79 of 82 games. He also led the league in made 3-pointers (320). In five seasons, Edwards has missed a total of nine games.
But the Thunder and their NBA-best defense posed a distinct challenge. Edwards shot just 6 for 31 from 3-point range in the four losses and was held under 20 points in three of them. He still found ways to drive to the basket and kick the ball through traffic to teammates in the corner, but the discrepancy in production between his counterpart Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was stark. The NBA MVP outscored Edwards 157-115, with a 116-87 edge in field goal attempts and a 51-32 edge in free throw attempts.
'Obviously, he's got to learn to play against that physicality and that type of holding all the time. They made it really hard for him,' coach Chris Finch said. 'I thought for a lot of the series, he did make the right play, and we preach that to him all the time. Yeah, we need him to be aggressive, for sure. He's got to find some easier buckets. I've got to help him do that.'
Edwards was also a culprit in the overall dip in effectiveness and intensity on defense, after the Wolves led the league on that end of the court during the 2023-24 season. Even after slipping from first to sixth in defensive rating for 2024-25, they held the Los Angeles Lakers under 100 points in three of five games in the first round and did the same to the Warriors in the second round.
But Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder were a different story, albeit with an attack fueled by their steal-happy defense that made Edwards, Julius Randle and Naz Reid in particular pay for dribbling too much in tight coverage.
'Fifteen puppets on one string,' was how Edwards marveled at the Thunder's execution of their defensive scheme.
Though three of their starters — Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert and Randle — this season were 30 or older, the Wolves with their mid-20s core of Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo weren't consistently disciplined and focused enough in following the game plans.
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
'I think for individuals it has to become even more important to them,' Conley said on Thursday as players went through exit interviews at team headquarters. 'Maybe that means studying the game more. Maybe that means doing more individual coaching, taking coaches on the side and getting some individual stuff there, bringing me aside every now and then even more often, and just using the minds around you to help you grasp certain concepts and certain things about the game.'
The eight-player rotation Finch was hesitant to extend will certainly change, with Terrence Shannon Jr. clearly ready for more playing time in the backcourt and the Wolves hopeful that Rob Dillingham and Jaylen Clark are too. Nickeil Alexander-Walker will become an unrestricted free agent, creating one potential opening.
Then there's the tricky contract situation in the frontcourt, where Randle and Reid each have an option to exercise for next season they could decide to decline in favor of a longer-term, more lucrative deal. Reid, for his part, said he would likely opt out. The 2023-24 NBA Sixth Man of the Year also said he would prefer to be a starter.
'But if you want to be in a winning position,' Reid said, 'sometimes you might have to sacrifice.' ___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
34 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
AP PHOTOS: David Beckham to be awarded a knighthood by King Charles
London, ENGLAND (AP) — David Beckham, the former England soccer captain who has been an ambassador for the U.N. children's fund for two decades, is to receive a knighthood in next week's honors list from King Charles III, according to U.K. media reports Friday. Without citing sources, the BBC said Beckham is set to receive further recognition both for his soccer career, and his contributions to British society. ____ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Thunder collapse late as Haliburton's buzzer-beater lifts Pacers to Game 1 win
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots a 3-pointer against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Things were going as expected for the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. They forced the normally efficient Indiana Pacers into 19 turnovers in the first half to lead by 12 at the break. The advantage swelled to 15 early in the fourth quarter, and it looked like the Thunder were off to one of their usual blowout victories. They fell apart late, then Tyrese Haliburton hit a mid-range dagger in the final second that gave Indiana a 111-110 victory on Thursday night. 'I thought we were pretty good,' Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'We had control of the game for the most part of it. It is a 48-minute game. They (Pacers) teach you that lesson more than anyone else in the league, the hard way.' The homecourt advantage Oklahoma City fought all season to gain vanished in a game it dominated for three quarters. The collapse wasted a 38-point effort by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Now, the Thunder will be under pressure heading into Game 2 on Sunday. 'We've just got to focus on being better,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'The series isn't first to one, it's first to four. We have four more games to get, they have three. That's just where we are. We've got to understand that and we've got to get to four before they get to three (more) if we want to win the NBA championship.' After Oklahoma City had Indiana's offense out of sorts in the first half, the Pacers committed just five turnovers in the second. 'I thought they loosened us up a little bit,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'They took better care of the ball. Obviously, I'm sure that was a huge theme for them coming in and at the half.' This isn't the first time this has happened to the Thunder this postseason. The Thunder lost a game they largely controlled in Game 1 of the second-round series against the Denver Nuggets. Aaron Gordon's 3-pointer gave Denver a 121-119 win. Oklahoma City responded and won the series 4-3. The Thunder believe they can use that experience to their advantage. 'We lost at the end of the day,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'We lost Game 1. We've lost Game 1 before. On the other side of that, we came out a better team. That's our goal. That's our mentality, to try to learn a lesson from the loss, like we always do, and move forward and be better.' This wasn't new for Indiana, either. The Pacers have made a habit of rallying late to win games this postseason, most notably in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks. 'The common denominator is them,' Daigneault said. 'That's a really good team. Credit them for not only tonight but their run. They've had so many games like that that have seemed improbable. They just play with a great spirit, they keep coming, they made plays, made shots. They deserved to win by a point.' ___ AP NBA: Cliff Brunt, The Associated Press
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
US Open '25: A trivia quiz covering more than a century of golf
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — How well do you know the U.S. Open? Try this trivia quiz (answers below): ___ 1. Where was the first U.S. Open in Pennsylvania? a.) Oakmont b.) Philadelphia Cricket Club c.) Merion 2. Jack Nicklaus won his first U.S. Open at Oakmont. Who did he beat in the playoff? a.) Arnold Palmer b.) Doug Sanders c.) Gary Player 3. Who is the only player to complete the career Grand Slam at the U.S. Open? a.) Tiger Woods b.) Gary Player c.) Jack Nicklaus 4. Which golf course has hosted the U.S. Open the most times? a.) Winged Foot b.) Baltusrol c.) Oakmont 5. Name the only player to lose three U.S. Opens in a playoff? a.) Phil Mickelson b.) Greg Norman c.) Arnold Palmer 6. Who is the only player to shoot 63 in the final round to win the U.S. Open? a.) Brooks Koepka b.) Johnny Miller c.) Jack Nicklaus 7. Who is the last U.S. Open champion who had to go through 36-hole qualifying? a.) Lucas Glover b.) Graeme McDowell c.) Gary Woodland 8. This player holds the record for losing the largest 54-hole lead in U.S. Open. Who is he? a.) Greg Norman b.) Mike Brady c.) Dustin Johnson 9. Who has the most majors without ever having won the U.S. Open? a.) Phil Mickelson b.) Harry Vardon c.) Sam Snead 10. Who recorded the highest score on a single hole in the U.S. Open a.) John Daly on No. 18 at Pebble Beach. b.) John Daly on No. 8 at Pinehurst No. 2. c.) Ray Ainsley on No. 16 at Cherry Hills. 11. Who was the last U.S. Open champion to never break par in any of the four rounds? a.) Geoff Ogilvy b.) Orville Moody c.) Corey Pavin 12. Who has the lowest 72-hole score in the U.S. Open? a) Brooks Koepka b.) Rory McIlroy c.) Martin Kaymer 13. Who did Ernie Els beat on the 20th hole of a playoff to win his first U.S. Open at Oakmont? a.) Colin Montgomerie b.) Tom Lehman c.) Loren Roberts 14. Name the only player to break 70 all four rounds in a U.S. Open without winning. a.) Brooks Koepka b.) John Mahaffey c.) Curtis Strange 15. Who holds the U.S. Open record for most runner-up finishes? a.) Sam Snead b.) Greg Norman c.) Phil Mickelson 16. Name the last player to win a U.S. Open with a 72-hole score over 300? a.) Tommy Armour at Oakmont b.) Bobby Jones at Winged Foot c.) Francis Ouimet at The Country Club 17. Who is the oldest U.S. Open champion a.) Raymond Floyd b.) Jack Fleck c.) Hale Irwin 18. Who was the only player under par after 72 holes in three straight U.S. Opens? a.) Curtis Strange b.) Ben Hogan c.) Xander Schauffele ANSWERS 1. b 2. a 3. b 4. c 5. c 6. b 7. a 8. b 9. c 10. c 11. a 12. b 13. c 14. a 15. c Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 16. a 17. c 18. a ___ AP golf:
