BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
The Minnesota Timberwolves clung to hope in the final minute, down two points and searching for a spark. Anthony Edwards already knew where the moment was headed.
After Julius Randle stepped to the line and split a pair of free throws, Rudy Gobert elevated in traffic to tip the missed second attempt back toward the backcourt, keeping possession alive and the Timberwolves within striking distance. Edwards scooped up the loose ball and calmly went to work, drawing Oklahoma City guard Cason Wallace toward the wing. With the defense set, Edwards sold a hard drive, planted his feet, and rose into a smooth step-back from well beyond the arc.
The shot splashed through from 25 feet with 38.5 seconds remaining, swinging the lead to Minnesota and silencing the crowd in a pivotal moment of a 112-107 victory on Friday night.
“I’m not passing the ball. I knew it was going up,” Edwards said afterward. “When it left my hand, I knew it was going in. He played great defense. It was a tough shot. But I probably shoot that shot a thousand times in a week when I’m in the gym, so it felt natural.”
The basket capped a triumphant return for Edwards, who had missed three games while managing a foot injury. He finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, delivering not just the biggest shot of the night, but the defining sequence on both ends of the floor.
Minnesota needed every ounce of his confidence against an Oklahoma City team that had eliminated the Timberwolves in five games in last season’s Western Conference finals and beaten them earlier this year. Edwards said there was never any doubt he would play in this matchup, no matter how his foot felt.
The Timberwolves leaned on their star exactly when it mattered most, a decision that was never in question among his teammates.
“At the end of the day, we’re putting the ball in his hands, asking him to bring us home,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “That’s exactly what he did.”
Edwards wasn’t finished after the 3-pointer. On the Thunder’s next possession, he met reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the rim and swatted away his attempt, a momentum-shifting defensive play that drew a roar from the Minnesota bench. When Oklahoma City retained the ball for another try, Edwards stayed locked in, securing the defensive rebound and pushing the action forward.
That stop set up Randle for two free throws that extended the Timberwolves’ lead to three. Moments later, Edwards struck again with his anticipation. As Gilgeous-Alexander advanced the ball up the floor looking to create space for a potential tying shot, Edwards noticed Jaden McDaniels positioned in the gap to his left. Edwards shaded him to the right, cut off the driving lane, and cleanly swiped the ball as it crossed Gilgeous-Alexander’s body.
“I knew he was trying to go for a three,” Edwards said. “Just trying to be solid.”
The sequence sealed the win and underscored Minnesota’s defensive resolve on a night when offense didn’t always come easily. The Timberwolves struggled at times from the field and the free-throw line, but compensated with physical defense, timely rebounding, and relentless energy.
Despite the statement victory, Edwards kept the perspective measured while speaking at his locker afterward.
“That’s just one win, man. That’s a regular-season win,” he said, noting that Oklahoma City had played at home the previous night. “They’re the best team in the league by far.”
Still, the performance suggested something meaningful for Minnesota, which improved to 17-10 by handing the Thunder just their third loss of the season. Against an elite opponent, the Timberwolves delivered arguably their most complete effort of the young campaign, fueled by urgency, crowd energy, and commitment on the defensive end.
“You could feel every defensive stop, every rebound, every offensive rebound,” DiVincenzo said. “You could feel how much energy the arena had, the ball had, the teammates had. That’s the atmosphere we need every single night.”
On a night defined by pressure and precision, Edwards provided both, reminding everyone that when the moment demands a decision, he rarely hesitates.
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