The Minnesota Timberwolves hosted the New Orleans Pelicans today for a very important matchup. Coming into the game today, the Pelicans were the 8th seed, tied with the Lakers for the record. The Timberwolves were close behind at 9th, half a game behind the two teams. Timberwolves knew they had a chance to get the 8th seed if they beat the Pelicans, and they did just that. Not having Zion Williamson around hurt the Pelicans once again.
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Karl-Anthony Towns led the charge for the Timberwolves, scoring 30 and grabbing eight rebounds. Anthony Edwards had a rough shooting night but still managed to contribute by being an anchor defensively. In the end, the Wolves took the win 113-108.
After the game, Zion was seen going up to Ant to give him his flowers.
Zion Williamson praised Anthony Edwards for his performance tonight
Anthony Edwards embodied the true meaning of never giving up today. Even though his shots weren’t falling down, he kept making an impact on the floor with his efforts on the defensive end. In 39 minutes of play, ANT had 26 points, shooting 8 of 21 from the field, 3 of 9 from the deep. However, he compensated for his shooting with his work on the floor. He had 13 rebounds, four assists, four steals, and four blocks.
He made one of the biggest plays of the night. With the Pelicans down 106-104, with 01:08 left in the game, CJ McCollum drove to the hoop. ANT came rushing back on defense and emphatically blocked the shot.
ANTHONY EDWARDS. WOW. pic.twitter.com/KNL8AfdKfb
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 9, 2023
This disrupted the Pelicans’ flow and helped the Wolves secure the win. After the game, Zion Williamson went up to ANT and praised his game. Zion said,
“Hooper to Hooper, I give respect when it’s due. Shot Wasn’t Falling, Got Down on the Other End!”
Zion Williamson to Anthony Edwards After the Game: “Hooper to hooper I give respect when due” pic.twitter.com/ppHr9eobeZ
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) April 9, 2023
This win might have disrupted the Pelicans’ play-in seeding, but Zion showed sportsman spirit over everything else.
How do things look for the Pelicans and Wolves?
Beating the Pelicans tonight, the Wolves move to the 8th seed. They’ll now face the Lakers for the 7th-8th seed play-in matchup. So far this season, the Timberwolves have had the upper hand, winning the season series 2-1. However, the new-look Lakers are a scary team.
On the other hand, the Pelicans face the Thunder for the 9th-10th seed matchup. Pels hold the 3-1 edge in the season series. Whoever wins the contest will face the loser of the Lakers-Wolves game. The Play-In tournament will be exhausting for the teams playing but fun for the viewers involved.
