Anthony Edwards found himself constantly surrounded by defenders, a deliberate strategy by the Denver Nuggets to contain Minnesota's standout guard.
In a tactical move, the Nuggets stifled Edwards, limiting him to 18 points – 15 below his series average – in their 112-97 victory over the Timberwolves in Game 5.
"We knew we had to change things up against Anthony Edwards. That guy is a one-man wrecking crew," remarked Nuggets coach Michael Malone. "We trapped him. We double-teamed him. We swarmed behind him."
This defensive approach also took a toll on Edwards. Not only did he face the pressure of shouldering the offensive burden, but he also exerted himself defensively, aiming to disrupt Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.
"Getting in the best shape of my life," cracked Edwards, whose team has dropped three in a row in the series. "So it’s fun."
The Nuggets dared anyone not named Edwards to beat them as they took a 3-2 lead in the second-round series with a chance to close out the Timberwolves on Thursday night in Minneapolis. The strategy worked, in part, because Anthony had fewer clear looks at the basket. The Timberwolves were also missing Mike Conley, who was ruled out before the game with soreness in his right Achilles.
"They’re just playing better than us right now," Edwards said. "They’re playing harder than us. They’re getting all the loose balls. Everything's going their way. They've got the momentum, man. We’ve got to figure out a way to shift it back our way."
Karl-Anthony Towns had a solid night despite appearing to tweak his left knee in the first half, finishing with 23 points. Rudy Gobert, too, had 18 points and 11 rebounds. But by keeping Edwards in check on 5-of-15 shooting, the Nuggets limited the damage and built a lead that stretched to as many as 18 points.
With so much attention surrounding him, Edwards resorted to passing and finished with a team-high nine assists. But it was his instant offense the Timberwolves were in desperate need of late in the game. He had four points in the fourth quarter.
"We’ve got to do a better job making it easier for him," Towns said of Edwards. "It’s about executing at a higher level. The guys in the other locker room here are executing at a championship level in these last three games. They’ve shown when you’re executing at that level what the results will be."
After being so dominant on defense in the first two games, winning two in a row in Denver by keeping the Nuggets under 100 points, the Timberwolves have found it tougher to contain the connected Nuggets ever since. Denver has averaged 114.7 points over its last three games.
"Their guys are making shots," Edwards said.
Especially three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, who had 40 points on 15-of-22 shooting. He also had 13 assists and no turnovers.
"He’s the best player in NBA," Edwards said. "He was special tonight. I’ve got to give him his flowers. He was that guy tonight."