Anthony Edwards drove towards the basket as the clock ticked down and the Minnesota Timberwolves held a slim two-point lead against the Dallas Mavericks.
As Edwards approached the foul line, three Mavericks players closed in on him. Despite struggling on the court that night, the 22-year-old guard hesitated to take the shot. Instead, he searched for an opening to his right but then changed direction, leaping into the air. Unable to find a clear path to the basket, he attempted a pass to Naz Reid, which unfortunately sailed out of bounds with 13 seconds remaining.
Wolves coach Chris Finch couldn’t hide his disappointment as yet another scoring opportunity slipped away. To compound matters, a defensive error followed, allowing Luka Doncic to sink a crucial 3-pointer with just 3 seconds left, securing a 109-108 victory for the Mavericks.
This loss highlights the Wolves’ struggles, especially in crucial moments of the game. Trailing 2-0 in the series, they now face the Mavericks in Dallas for Game 3 on Sunday.
“It’s a similar story to the previous game: critical turnovers when it mattered most,” Finch lamented.
Taking responsibility, Finch admitted fault for not calling a timeout to reintroduce Mike Conley into the game. Conley’s adept ball-handling and ability to orchestrate the offense were sorely missed during crucial moments.
Edwards, who scored 21 points on a 5-for-17 shooting night, is the player the Wolves rely on the most. However, opposing teams in this postseason have effectively clogged the paint, deploying three, four, or even five defenders to thwart his drives to the rim or pull-up jumpers.
“They’re crowding the lane, making it difficult for me to drive or take mid-range shots,” Edwards remarked. “I’m passing up a lot of those opportunities. But despite that, we’re still getting open looks, so I’m not too concerned.”
