Anthony Edwards might have managed to suck the air out of every Minnesota fan when the 22-year-old All-Star guard was being pumped with Oxygen during the final quarter of the game. Having played the most (40) minutes out of the entire Timberwolves roster, an exhausted Edwards, who seemed to be running on fumes, had a rather unconventional method of catching his breath in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
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As per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, “During the time Anthony Edwards was checked out of the game from 7:53 to 5:31 remaining in the 4th Q, the Wolves guard put on a face mask to receive oxygen in the tunnel by the Minnesota bench.”
During the time Anthony Edwards was checked out of the game from 7:53 to 5:31 remaining in the 4th Q, the Wolves guard put on a face mask to receive oxygen in the tunnel by the Minnesota bench.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 25, 2024
While Edwards’ method was a bit unorthodox, the young leader of this Wolves squad was hell-bent on helping his team win; especially after the Mavericks squeaked by with a 108-105 win over Minnesota in Game 1.
Anthony Edwards had been guarding Mavericks star, Kyrie Irving since the start of the series. At first glance, Edwards seems to possess the athletic edge and also has a decade’s advantage over the veteran point guard in terms of age.
But even after having the upper hand going into this matchup, Edwards had a hard time keeping up with Irving on the floor. Not to mention Kyrie’s constant movement off the ball, resulting in Ant-Man’s hands on his hips or on his knees, indicating clear signs of fatigue.
After dropping Game 1 of this series, the Minnesota Timberwolves were expected to bring down the heat, taking Game 2 by a sizeable margin. Unfortunately, the Wolves were handed another disappointing loss on their home turf as Dallas barely scraped by with a 109-108 win.
Leading his team in scoring, Anthony Edwards’ Game 1 performance was far from what fans have been privy to seeing. Expected to be nothing more than a fluke, Edwards’ 21 points in Game 2 wasn’t much of a bounceback from his 19-point outing in the first game, as per StatMuse.
And now, with the Mavericks leading the series 2-0, the pressure is at an all-time high for the Timberwolves who will travel to Dallas for games 3 & 4 of this seven-game series.
Can Anthony Edwards keep up with Uncle Drew?
Calling Kyrie Irving a ‘Wizard with the ball in his hands’ does aptly describe the magical things he’s able to pull off on the court. But that phrase itself does not seem to do enough justice to his skill as a professional athlete.
Apart from his extraordinary control over the ball, Kyrie Irving has immense control over his body and his movement on the floor. Kai can stop at a dime while running down the court at full speed, only to pull up from the field while his opponents are busy trying to save their ankles.
Another aspect of Irving’s game that should get more recognition is his knowledge of the angles he can use to drain his shot while using the backboard. Pair all these things, along with having Luka Doncic as a bail-out option, and it is no wonder why Edwards had to pump Oxygen just to keep up with the Mavericks’ star tandem.
Trailing 0-2 in the WCF, can the Wolves win two straight on the road and give themselves a chance at reaching the NBA Finals?
