The Minnesota Timberwolves are now in an 0-2 hole in their Western Conference Finals matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. While that is disappointing, Minnesota is having its most sustained success as a franchise. Their best player, of course, is guard Anthony Edwards. Selected first overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, he has become one of the league’s top players at just 23 years old. Even at his very young age and having played just five seasons, Anthony Edwards set a new Timberwolves record on Thursday.
Anthony Edwards Sets Timberwolves Franchise Record In Game 2
Edwards Now Has The Team’s Most Career Playoff Points
Thursday night saw the Timberwolves defeated by the Thunder 118-103. They also lost by 26 points in Game 1. Minnesota is looking to make a comeback in this series and earn a trip to their first ever NBA Finals. Prior to last season, the franchise had just one appearance in the Western Conference Finals. They have now made it there in back-to-back seasons.
It was a productive outing for the 6-foot-4 Edwards in the losing effort. He finished Game 2 with 32 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. That scoring output allowed Edwards to pass a Timberwolves legend for the most playoff points in team history.
In his fourth career postseason, Edwards now has 1,065 points in 39 playoff games. That total now puts him ahead of Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett. A 10-time All-Star while with Minnesota, Garnett scored 1,049 points in 47 postseason games. In 2003-04, he was the leader of a Timberwolves team that made their first Western Conference Finals appearance.
In his postseason career, Edwards has averaged 27.3 points per contest. His career playoff high in scoring is 43 points, which he has done twice including in this year’s opening round matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. In his 39 postseason outings, Edwards has dropped at least 40 five times and at least 30 on 14 different occasions.
Timberwolves Lack Of Success In Playoffs Prior To 2024
It is mighty impressive that Edwards, at just 23 years old, is already the franchise’s all-time leader in career playoff points. He was also capable of doing it due to the lack of playoff success in Minnesota’s history.
The Timberwolves inaugural season came in 1989-90. They had an eight-year stretch from 1996-97 until 2003-04 where they qualified for the playoffs each time. The first seven saw Minnesota eliminated in the opening round.
The last of those, they reached the Western Conference Finals. That 2003-04 season had been the only time the Timberwolves advanced through a playoff round before last year.
Still, there’s a reason Edwards is celebrated as one of the game’s great talents at such a young age. His stock would rise even further if he can help lead his team past the Thunder despite losing the first two. Game 3 of the series takes place on Saturday in Minnesota.
Photo credit: © Brett Rojo-Imagn Images
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