Punked? Anthony Edwards Reacts to HC Finch Calling Out Wolves After Loss to Wemby, Spurs in Video
Minnesota Timberwolves superstar guard Anthony Edwards reacted Wednesday night to head coach Chris Finch's assessment of the team's performance in a 133-95 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series.
Finch told reporters after the game that he told his players they got "punked," after the Spurs dominated from start to finish (beginning at the 2:35 mark of video):
Edwards then gave his take on the comments after he was informed of them by reporters (beginning at the 3-minute mark of video):
"Punked is crazy," Edwards said. "But, I mean, just look at the film and see what we can gain from it. We know where we struggled at. Come out and just try to match their physicality."
Edwards also expressed his belief that the Timberwolves didn't have enough of a sense of urgency from the opening tip, telling reporters, "We came out cool. Look what happened. My momma used to tell me that a hard head make a soft ass. That's what happened tonight."
With the T-Wolves up 1-0 in the series, the Spurs were clearly the more desperate team, and that was apparent from jump, as they held a seven-point lead after one quarter and a 24-point advantage at halftime.
No single player dominated the game for the Spurs, as guard Stephon Castle was their leading scorer with 21 points, but they beat the Timberwolves with depth and balance.
All five of San Antonio's starters and six players overall scored in double figures, and eight Spurs players finished with at least eight points.
Superstar center Victor Wembanyama had a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds, and he is the biggest reason why the Spurs dominated on the glass, out-rebounding Minnesota 55-43.
The Timberwolves also turned the ball over 22 times, including five by Julius Randle and four each by Rudy Gobert and Edwards.
For the second time in as many games to start the series, Edwards came off the bench and had his minutes limited, as he played 24 minutes and finished with 12 points and three rebounds.
Edwards is playing through a hyperextended knee and bone bruise he suffered during Game 4 of the Timberwolves' first-round series against the Denver Nuggets.
Regarding when he will be back in the starting lineup, Edwards told reporters, "That's not up to me," and he added, "Whatever's required," when asked about playing more minutes moving forward.
The four-time All-Star led the team with a career-high 28.8 points per game during the regular season, and based on how Game 2 went, the T-Wolves may need that version of Ant-Man to show up in Game 3 and beyond in order to have a chance.
