DALLAS — Anthony Edwards has laid out a bold plan for the Minnesota Timberwolves as they gear up for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. His strategy? A lot more Anthony Edwards.
“Y’all are going to see it tonight, it’s going to be a lot of shots,” Edwards declared confidently after the Wolves’ shootaround on Sunday morning.
Anthony Edwards’ Aggressive Approach
Anthony Edwards has averaged 20 points on 33.3% shooting in the series thus far, as Minnesota dropped the first two games at home. He’s now ready to change the narrative.
“I’m going to be super aggressive,” Anthony Edwards said. “I haven’t taken more than 16 shots in each game. So I’m going to be ultra-aggressive coming out, for sure.”
Learning from Mistakes
The 22-year-old guard, who averaged 27.7 points in the Wolves’ second-round series win over the Denver Nuggets, admitted to a costly mistake in Game 2. After driving into the lane and facing pressure from Mavs rookie center Dereck Lively II, Anthony Edwards made an errant pass that sailed into the courtside seats.
“I should’ve just shot the f—ing first shot,” he said bluntly. “It’s just that simple.”
Team’s Resilience
Despite the 2-0 deficit, Anthony Edwards remains optimistic about the team’s chances as they head to Dallas.
“It didn’t do nothing but add fuel to the fire for Game 3,” Edwards said. “I think all my teammates ready to go, it’s fun. … I think we’re in a pretty good mood.
Everybody’s smiling and joking. We know we’re a good team. We know it’s not over. I don’t think anybody’s worried. Just know we got to come ready to play tonight.”
Defensive Adjustments
While Anthony Edwards focuses on offense, Wolves forward Jaden McDaniels addressed their defensive challenges. Luka Doncic’s go-ahead 3-pointer over Rudy Gobert in Game 2 has been a topic of discussion.
“I mean, Rudy made him take a tough shot,” McDaniels said.
“So I mean, we’re living with it. He probably would have tried to do the same shot versus me. So, I mean, everyone hits game winners, they miss [game winners]. So there’s nothing really we can do about it. It’s just on to the next game, really.”
McDaniels on Defensive Switches
McDaniels, who visibly reacted when Doncic hit the shot over Gobert, explained his thought process during the critical moment.
“I just wanted to guard him because he hit one on me last game,” McDaniels said. “So I kind of just wanted to be able to guard him again in the same position. But I kind of knew I wasn’t going to be able to just because what we were switching and what Coach asked for. So hopefully we’re not going to be in that position again, but if we do, I’ll make sure I’m not switching.”
Road Warriors
The Timberwolves have struggled at home this postseason, with a 3-4 record at the Target Center. However, their road performance has been impressive, boasting a 5-1 record, including a crucial Game 7 win against Denver.
“It kind of tells us that anything is possible,” McDaniels said.
“The Denver series, Denver Game 7, we were down by 20 and we just stayed together, fought back. It’s kind of the same, it’s just, we’re down 2-0.”
As Game 3 approaches, all eyes will be on Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves to see if their aggressive strategy and road resilience can turn the tide against the Mavericks.
