The Minnesota Timberwolves took a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Golden State Warriors with a 102-97 win in Game 3. Anthony Edwards dazzled in the second half of this contest after a slow start, and he revealed in his postgame press conference that there was a play that got him going.
“I feel like when [Jonathan] Kuminga dunked on me, that got me going,” Edwards said.
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch felt it was Edwards’ incredible poster dunk on Kevon Looney late in the third quarter that got him going, but the man himself disagreed. He pointed to this dunk by Kuminga minutes earlier.
Kuminga appeared to have words for Edwards there, too, and he might have poked the bear. The three-time All-Star had just started to find his rhythm offensively prior to this incident and was now locked in.
Edwards had scored just eight points in the first half but then had 15 in the third quarter. The 23-year-old put up 13 more in the fourth to finish the night with 36 points (13-28 FG), four rebounds, four assists, and one block.
Edwards and Kuminga exchanged words after the game, too, and the former might have had something to get off his chest about that incident. Kuminga was informed about Edwards’ comments postgame, and here’s what he had to say.
“I didn’t even think about that at all,” Kuminga said. “It was just a moment in the game. Especially getting a pass from Jimmy [Butler], trying to get the crowd going. I didn’t know that’s what got him going.”
Kuminga had a great Game 3 as well, finishing with 30 points (11-18 FG), six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks off the bench. He and Jimmy Butler, who had 33 points (12-26 FG), seven rebounds, and seven assists, were the only ones on the Warriors who were able to generate offense on a consistent basis.
Kuminga impressed off the bench in Game 2, too, with 18 points, and the Warriors will need him to keep this up if they are to extend this series in Stephen Curry’s absence. Curry could be back from his hamstring strain by Game 6, so the Warriors need to win one of these next two games for him to play any further part in this series. Will they? Time will tell.
Edwards will be looking to ensure Curry doesn’t get that opportunity to lead the Warriors to glory. He hadn’t quite been at his best in the first two games of this series (21.5 points on 42.9% shooting from the field) and had just 15 points in the closeout game against the Los Angeles Lakers, but rediscovered his mojo here.
If the Timberwolves can get this kind of production out of Edwards in the next two games as well, then this series could well end in five. The Warriors will need to keep him in check, and it will be interesting to see how they defend him in Game 4 at Chase Center on Monday at 10 PM ET.
