The NBA playoffs are in full swing and one of the upsets underway is the 6th seeded Minnesota Timberwolves taking a 3-1 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers. On Sunday, the Wolves won 116-113 behind 43 points, nine rebounds, and six assists from Anthony Edwards, closing the game out on a 14-6 run. The Wolves took game one in Los Angeles 117-95, lost game two in Los Angeles 94-85, and then bounced back to take game three in Minneapolis 116-104 before winning on Sunday in Minneapolis.
A major reason for the Wolves' success this postseason is the performance of their star shooting guard Anthony Edwards, who is averaging 29.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game during the series. Edwards is only 23 years of age in his fifth NBA season, playing like a guy who has been in the league for a decade. He makes smart decisions with the ball, knows when to attack the rim, when to pass it out, etc. He's got superstar gifts and isn't solely consumed with getting buckets even though that's what he does best.
In addition to Edwards, forward Julius Randle has been playing fantastic as well. Randle had 25 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in Sunday's win, averaging 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game for the series. Edwards has needed somebody to be a reliable number two man and Randle has been that. And then of course, other guys like Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels have done their part as well. It's been a true team effort.
If the Wolves can close out the Lakers, don't be surprised to see them make another push to reach the Western Conference Finals like they did last year. And if they get that far, who's to say that they can't reach the NBA Finals? When you got a superstar like Anthony Edwards, you're always in contention.
Update: The Timberwolves took the series 4-1, defeating the Lakers 103-96 in game five. Rudy Gobert had a ridiculous 27 points and 24 rebounds.
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