Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves faced their first back-to-back losses in these playoffs following their Game 2 loss against the Thunder. The Thunder took a resounding lead and never took their foot off the gas pedal. They won the game 118-103 as Edwards was almost single-handedly providing any offensive threat for the Timberwolves.
Following the game, Anthony Edwards refused to speak to the media. This decision came in the wake of a fine he received following the last press conference, where he used the F-word and had to pay $50,000 as a result.
Edwards had 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in their Game 2 loss. However, he had almost no help on offense except maybe Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Julius Randle finished the game with 6 points after having been the Wolves’ reliable No. 2 option for scoring throughout these playoffs. Rudy Gobert had 5 points, Mike Conley had 3 points, and Donte DiVincenzo had 8. Overall, a night that Edwards likely didn’t want to talk about in depth and hence risked a fine to avoid speaking to the media.
Why Did Anthony Edwards Use The F-Bomb After Game 1
Following Game 1’s loss to the Thunder, Edwards was asked if the pressure from them became too much for the Timberwolves to handle down the stretch. As a result, Edwards got a bit irked about his own performance.
He said, “I definitely got to shoot more. I only took 13 f**king shots. I’ll say, probably just get off the ball a little more, play without the ball. I think that would be the answer because playing on the ball, they’re just going to double and sit in the gaps all day. So I got to go watch some film and pick it apart. We’ll figure it out.”
Edwards had 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists in Game 1 after taking only 13 field goal attempts. Whereas in Game 2, he had 26 attempts and finished with 32 points. While it was an improvement personally for him, it wasn’t enough to beat the Thunder. Moreover, his struggles from beyond the arc have become even more evident after he went 1 of 9 in Game 2 from the three-point line. He is currently shooting 23.5% from three in both games combined (4 of 17).
Therefore, combined frustrations of his own struggles and no help from his team may have prompted his decision not to speak to the media after the game.
