Maybe instead of “Ant” we should call him “Gumby.”
In yesterday’s playoff game Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves and the Lakers’ LeBron James scrambled for a loose basketball. As James dove for the ball, he landed on Edwards’ lower left leg and ankle. The crowd gasped as Edwards lay on the floor, writhing in pain. The video board replay only heightened the angst among the home crowd at Target Center.
A broken ankle or leg? Dislocated knee?
Nope, within a couple of minutes the 23-year-old superstar was on his feet and standing at the free throw line. He converted both shots to put the Wolves ahead 56-55 with 1:26 to play in a second quarter that had found Minnesota playing from behind in Game Four of the playoff matchup between the Wolves and Lakers..
“Gumby” (for those who don’t know) is a fictional character made of clay who can contort into all kinds of shapes and regenerate his body. Edwards is a seemingly indestructible human who during his five- year career has seldom been slowed by injuries and might be more likely to be sidelined by illness or suspension than a serious injury.
Edwards’ remarkable body and mind with its strength, coordination, timing, flexibility and basketball IQ are gifts that have kept him resilient. In the last three regular seasons he has missed only a total of nine games.
Yesterday he scored 43 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to lead the Wolves to a 116-113 win over the Lakers. The victory gave Minnesota a 3-1 lead in their opening playoff best of seven games series.
Edwards has been special in the last two victories. In a Friday night win that broke a 1-1 series tie, he was dominant in a fourth quarter comeback. He either scored or assisted on a 13-point Minnesota run where his team out scored the Lakers by 10 points in the quarter to secure a 116-104 victory.
The performances have only added to his reputation of being among the best clutch players in today’s NBA.
Yesterday he had a game-high 43 points on 12-of-23 shooting, including 5-of-10 from three and 14-of-17 from the free throw line. Edwards also had nine rebounds and a team-high six assists.
Edwards, who played a team-high 44 minutes, was at times unstoppable. If he wasn’t bombing three-point scores, he was dancing or swooping into the lane for close in baskets. He was part of the reason the Wolves out scored the undersized Lakers by 18 points in the paint.
Edwards, who won’t be 24 until August 5, celebrated one of his biggest professional wins after the game. The player who could be the face of the NBA in a few years, told ABC’s Lisa Salters he’s been “dreaming” of moments like this for a long time.
“I love everything about him,” James said earlier in the series.
Another NBA veteran, the Wolves 37-year-old Mike Conley, praised Edwards for his mature play after Game Four: “He’s being really meticulous with what he’s doing late in the games. He’s taking his time really sizing up the defense, understanding where guys are going to be on the court.
“Taking what’s there and available. He had the three going there for a little bit, then he started getting downhill making plays. Just happy with him being able to seek out different matchups and take advantage.”
With the drama of a scary first half fall and clutch fourth quarter, Edwards couldn’t have put on a more entertaining show for a national TV audience and Target Center crowd that included celebrity new Wolves owner Alex Rodriguez, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, and new Golden Gophers basketball coach Niko Medved.
They watched the “Gumby” show that had an important supporting cast including forward Julius Randle who had 21 of his 25 points in the first half when the Wolves led 61-58. Forward Jaden McDaniels not only scored 16 points and led the team in rebounds with 11, but was a pest to the Lakers on defense, including superstar Luka Doncic. Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo gave Minnesota 12 and eight points off the bench.
In Los Angeles on Wednesday night the Wolves are likely to close out the series. The Lakers could be a fatigued and discouraged bunch facing a deeper and overall more talented team in the Wolves. Lakers coach JJ Redick, trying to even the series at 2-2, played his starters the entire second half yesterday. That’s a marathon for an “Iron Five” whose bench at times borders on woeful.
James, 40, was superb in both losses in Minneapolis but there is only so much energy in that “senior citizen” body. His co-superstar, Doncic, played sick Friday night and probably wasn’t 100 percent yesterday. Doncic and James scored 65 of their team’s 116 points yesterday but didn’t close the “show.”