Not surprisingly, Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards drew high praise from teammates and opponents alike after the Timberwolves swept the Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
“He’s the face of the league. I’ve been saying that,” big man Karl-Anthony Towns told NBA reporters of Edwards. “He hates when I say it, but it’s true.”
Edwards was electrifying in scoring 40 points on 13-of-20 shooting in the Timberwolves’ closeout victory. He also recorded nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal.
“I’m so impressed with Ant. So impressed with Ant,” Suns star Kevin Durant said. “My favorite player to watch. Just grown so much since he came into the league.”
- Edwards became the first member of the 12-man Team USA roster to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs. By the looks of things, he could be one of just a few.
- In case you missed it, coach Chris Finch suffered a torn patella tendon in a sideline collision with point guard Mike Conley. Our Brandon Santomauro has the full post here.
- Assistant coach Micah Nori took over for Finch in the final 1:41, following Finch’s injury. The Wolves coasted from there. “Everybody has their role, everybody has each other’s back,” Nori said. “I know it sounds corny, but it’s just next man up, even with the coaching staff.”
- Suns coach Frank Vogel also exited the series with an appreciation for the Timberwolves and Edwards. “Their whole team created a lot of problems for us,” he told NBA reporters. “The role players, the stars. Anthony Edwards is a special, special talent. And their bigs played really well.”
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