Anthony Edwards isn’t upset for himself after the Timberwolves lost Game 5.
The Minnesota Timberwolves lost Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder, thus ending their playoff run.
This marks the second straight year the Timberwolves lost in the conference finals in five games. Stephen A. Smith had predicted this loss would come off the back of the Thunder’s great defense.
And he was right, as the Thunder held the Timberwolves to just 32 points in the first half, a near-record low for them.
Jaden McDaniels had one of the worst performances of his career in Game 5. But it’s another Timberwolves teammate for whom Edwards feels pain.
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Speaking after the elimination in Game 5, Anthony Edwards talked about what this loss means to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
While he wasn’t upset for himself after yet another WCF elimination, he did feel pain for Mike Conley, who came so close to reaching the NBA Finals only to fall at the final hurdle.
“I’m hurt, more so than for myself, for Mike [Conley]. I came up short for Mike. We tried last year, but we couldn’t get it. We tried this year, and we’re going to try again next year. Hurting is a terrible word to use. I’m good.”
Conley was visibly upset after yet another disappointing Western Conference Finals exit for the Timberwolves.
Read More: Anthony Edwards snaps back at critics calling out his poor Game 4 performance, ‘Didn’t really struggle…’
During the same press conference, Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards praised the Thunder’s defense, albeit in a backhanded manner.
Conley: “They were on one string defensively.”
Edwards: “15 puppets on one string.”
Of course, some bitterness and resentment is understandable for both players, given how grueling this series was for them.
Where do the Timberwolves go from here? It’s clear their current squad is just not good enough to compete at a high level right now.
What if they listened to Kendrick Perkins and traded for Kevin Durant? KD could bring the championship experience and be the final piece for this team to get over the hump and reach the NBA Finals.
