Anthony Edwards delivered in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, leading the Timberwolves to a 105-100 win to avoid being swept by the Dallas Mavericks. Even though the Wolves have a three-game deficit to make up, Edwards made it clear he came out in this game with one agenda: don’t get swept.
“I’ve never been swept in my career. Even though I’ve been to the Playoffs three times, I’ve never been swept, so I took it personal. I didn’t want to get swept. Not on their home court. Hearing their fans talk trash all day. I think we came out and competed at a high level today.”
"I've never been swept so I took it personal." 🔥@ALaForce caught up with Ant after Minnesota's huge Game 4 win pic.twitter.com/0llbndcnKH
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 29, 2024
Edwards put up 29 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists in the Game 4 win. He had adequate help from teammates like Karl-Anthony Towns and Mike Conley, though the Wolves did look to be in trouble at times during this game. They controlled the pace of the contest for most of the evening, finally closing out the Mavericks in a clutch fourth-quarter situation.
It might be pre-emptive to say this win gives the Wolves a shot at becoming the first team to make a 0-3 series comeback, but it’s a great record for Ant to build on. Players value avoiding sweeps a lot, and it’s something he can continue to say for now. His star opponent, Luka Doncic, has never been swept either, so these high-level competitors will leave it all on the line for a win.
The question is, can the Wolves replicate this at home in Game 5? Nobody thought they’d beat the Nuggets in a road Game 7, so the possibility of them making a comeback cannot be ruled out yet.
Edwards is averaging 27.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in the playoffs. He’s averaging 23.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in this series, continuing to lead the Wolves as their No. 1 option.
Kyrie Irving’s Big Words Came Back To Haunt Him
Kyrie Irving seemed cool and confident before the start of Game 4, telling reporters during his shootaround that this was just another normal game for the Mavericks while the Timberwolves would treat it like their Super Bowl.
“This is their Super Bowl. It’s just a normal game for us.”
This approach was obvious from the get-go, with the Wolves playing with more energy than the Mavericks all night long. The lethargic Mavericks offense struggled to get to their spots like they did in previous games, with the absence of Dereck Lively II removing their bail-out lob threat as well.
Irving put up just 16 points on 33.3% shooting, not hitting the net consistently enough to lead Dallas to this win. Even a 40% shooting conversion would have been enough to help the Mavericks seal this series and advance to the NBA Finals, but Irving will feel the load of letting the team down in this contest.
The Boston Celtics await the Mavericks in the NBA Finals, but they’re getting more and more rest while a battered Mavericks’ roster is expected to close this series out ASAP to get rest to heal up before the NBA Finals.
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