Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs saw the Wolves tie things up at 2-2 following a 114-109 victory. As Anthony Edwards‘ heroics led the way for Minnesota, yet again, the circumstances were certainly far different from previous outings.
The Spurs played the majority of Game 4 without their superstar, Victor Wembanyama, who was surprisingly ejected early in the matchup. Although this put Minnesota in a better position to secure the win, during his postgame press conference, Anthony Edwards noted that it presented some unique challenges.
When speaking about facing the Spurs without Victor Wembanyama on the floor, Edwards commented:
“I don’t know, man. Honestly, I think it was kind of harder. Of course, they’re a really good team with him on the floor, but they play a lot slower when he’s on the floor because everything revolves around him… It’s just like when every team is missing their best player, everybody gets more free, gets more shots, more confident. So, I think it was a lot harder on us.”
Anthony Edwards raises an intriguing point with this statement. Although Victor Wembanyama is truly elite and is capable of single-handedly taking over a game, the Spurs commit most of their effort to building their plays around Wembanyama.
With the big man off the floor, the Spurs are a faster team with a more free-flowing offense. Given that each player is capable of making big shots, too, the Wolves were forced to shift their focus to multiple targets rather than just one.
Still, this speaks to how Wembanyama’s presence affects the Spurs’ offense. As the reigning DPOY and the NBA’s leader in blocked shots, Wembanyama’s absence on the defensive end was far more telling, as Anthony Edwards noted how attacking the rim became easier.
“I mean, everybody knows the rim is going to be a lot more open when he’s not on the floor,” Edwards added. “Offensively, they play a lot more loose when he’s not on the floor. But yeah, he’s eight feet tall. So yeah, he’s going to cover up the rim every time he’s on the floor.”
Wembanyama has been a dominant presence on both ends of the floor for San Antonio in the playoffs, averaging 21.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 5.0 blocks per game. As arguably the Spurs’ most impactful player, his ejection early in the game put the Spurs in a vulnerable position.
Needless to say, Anthony Edwards and the Wolves made the most of this opportunity.
Although San Antonio put up an impressive fight, Edwards’ 36-point performance led Minnesota’s winning effort. With some balanced scoring from players across the board, the Wolves convincingly leveled things up.
Minnesota appears to be in a much better position after stealing back some momentum before heading to San Antonio. However, with Wembanyama likely to return for the next matchup, the Wolves will look to Anthony Edwards to lead the team past the Spurs.
