Anthony Edwards put on a show as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-109 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals at Target Center on Sunday. Edwards was unstoppable in the fourth quarter as he helped the Timberwolves overturn an eight-point deficit, and he revealed postgame that he was desperate to win this one for his late mother, Yvette.
“Today is Mother’s Day,” Edwards said. “And so I just wanted to win for my mom, and it was just that simple.”
Edwards saw his mother pass away due to cancer on Jan. 5, 2015, when he was in eighth grade. That wouldn’t be the only blow the boy suffered that year, as his grandmother, Shirley, also died due to cancer eight months later.
Portraits of Yvette and Shirley were by Edwards’ side when the Timberwolves selected him with the first pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. They continue to inspire and motivate him today, but it is a pity they couldn’t see him turn into one of the best players in the NBA.
Edwards was asked here if Yvette was on his mind all day on May 10, and she was.
“Yeah,” Edwards said. “I couldn’t lose this game for her for sure.”
View this post on Instagram
Edwards sure played like someone who was determined not to lose. The 24-year-old erupted for 16 points in the fourth quarter to power the Timberwolves to a victory that ties this series at 2-2.
That late outburst meant Edwards finished the night with 36 points (13-22 FG), six rebounds, two assists, and one steal. It was yet another masterclass in the postseason.
A defeat here would have seen the Timberwolves fall down 3-1, and you wouldn’t have fancied their chances of pulling off a comeback against this Spurs team. They’re just too good.
The Spurs were in position to win this game despite Victor Wembanyama getting ejected in the second quarter for elbowing Naz Reid. Wembanyama understandably dominates all the headlines, but there is a whole lot of talent around him.
Edwards thinks it was a bit harder for the Timberwolves to get this win after Wembanyama went out.
“Honestly, I think it was kind of harder,” Edwards said. “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.”
We saw that with the Timberwolves as well. Edwards had suffered a bone bruise and hyperextension in his left knee in the second quarter of Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets in the first round. The Timberwolves still won that night and then won Game 6 as well without their superstar, to set up this clash with the Spurs.
You sure didn’t think Edwards would be available right at the start of the Conference Semifinals, but he was. The four-time All-Star only had 30 points combined in Games 1 and 2, as the Timberwolves limited his minutes. The restriction was gone after that, and he has now had back-to-back 30-point games.
Edwards has found his rhythm, and that is bad news for the Spurs. He now has the Timberwolves just two wins away from a third straight appearance in the Western Conference Finals.
Game 5 tips off at Frost Bank Center on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.
