NBA analyst lambasts Timberwolves for not running Anthony Edwards sets in clutch
Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves came up short during Sunday's Game 3 Western Conference finals clash against the Dallas Mavericks, falling 116-107. Their late-game offensive execution sparked heavy criticism, including from The Volume's Jason Timpf, who questioned Edwards' lack of touches.
Entering the fourth quarter, Minnesota and Dallas were tied 87-87, with Edwards boasting a team-high 22 points on 9-for-21 (42.9%) shooting.
However, the two-time All-Star attempted only three shots in the final period, tallying four points, as the Timberwolves were outscored 29-20. That includes a stretch where they missed seven straight shots after taking a 104-102 lead with just over five minutes remaining.
The loss dropped Minnesota into a daunting 3-0 series deficit. However, Timpf seemingly wasn't surprised, as he highlighted the team's season-long offensive struggles.
"Multiple possessions here late that aren’t running through Ant. But this was a team that couldn’t execute for sh*t all season, so …," Timpf tweeted.
The Timberwolves finished the regular season with the league's top defensive rating (108.4). However, they ranked only 17th in offensive rating (114.6), below multiple non-playoff teams.
Outside of Anthony Edwards, Minnesota lacks consistent shot creators, so it's had difficulty matching Dallas superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's superhuman-like shot-making abilities. They combined for a whopping 66 points on Sunday, each outscoring the 22-year-old.
Through three playoff outings against the Mavericks, Edwards still leads the Timberwolves in scoring, averaging 22.0 points per game on 38.6% shooting.
However, he has experienced a steep scoring and efficiency decline from the postseason's first two rounds. He averaged 28.9 ppg on 50.4% shooting over 11 contests against the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.
So, Edwards and Co. will likely need to muster more consistent offensive production during Tuesday's Game 4 showdown. If not, they could get swept despite entering the series as slight favorites.
Chris Finch on Timberwolves' Game 3 fourth-quarter struggles against Mavericks
Following Sunday's Game 3 loss, Minnesota coach Chris Finch was asked about his team's late-game struggles. The 54-year-old highlighted how the Timberwolves have had difficulty keeping up with Dallas' offensive firepower in the last three minutes of contests throughout the series.
“You've got to try to score alongside them,” Finch said. “The whole series, we’ve struggled to close games. These three-minute games that we’re playing, we’re losing.”
While Minnesota is trailing Dallas 3-0, all three losses have come by single digits. That includes the Timberwolves' heartbreaking 109-108 Game 2 loss in which Luka Doncic hit a last-second go-ahead 3-pointer.
So, if a few more plays went in their favor, they could have won a game or two. Nonetheless, Minnesota is running out of time to sort out its offensive deficiencies, facing elimination on the road on Tuesday.
Also Read: Isiah Thomas shoots down Anthony Edwards-Michael Jordan comparisons: "Just because they both jump high, doesn’t mean they’re the same player"