DENVER — Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid squared off in a taking pictures competitors after follow Saturday, a day forward of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Sport 7 towards the Denver Nuggets to find out the winner of their Western Convention semifinal collection towards the defending NBA champions.
The Wolves’ budding famous person and the league’s Sixth Man of the 12 months began in a single nook and challenged each other to make 5 3-pointers from seven spots across the perimeter, seeing who can be first to complete from the alternative nook. Within the shoot-until-you-miss format, Edwards shortly caught hearth and superior to the ultimate nook spot whereas Reid received caught on spot No. 3, clanking away on the wing.
To permit Reid an opportunity to catch up, Edwards began taking pictures high-arcing pictures, launching the ball nearly to the ceiling of the Nuggets’ follow court docket. When Reid lastly received his rhythm and made his approach across the 3-point line, simply two spots from the top nook, Edwards stopped messing round — he locked again into his common taking pictures stroke and calmly ended the competitors.
In a approach, it mirrored what the Wolves try to do to Denver this collection. Minnesota went up 2-0 to start out, misplaced three in a row to fall down 3-2, then obliterated the Nuggets by 45 factors in Sport 6 on Thursday to arrange Sunday’s clincher.
And Edwards is trying on the Nuggets with the identical self-assuredness he had Saturday when he shot a smile at Reid earlier than making the final nook 3 to win their shootout.
“I believe we’re assured simply because we’re an excellent group,” Edwards mentioned. “We’re going towards one other nice group and we really feel like we are the higher group. That is all the arrogance that we’d like. The 2 earlier video games [that the Wolves won in Denver] do not imply something. They beat our ass on our residence court docket, so that do not imply something. Proper now it is about who’s going to play higher tomorrow.”
The Wolves performed their greatest in Sport 6, holding the Nuggets to a franchise playoff-low 70 factors on simply 30.2% taking pictures (19.4% from 3). Edwards was the sport’s main scorer with 27 factors, however he was hardly the one Minnesota contributor.
Jaden McDaniels had 21 factors on 8-for-10 taking pictures, and Mike Conley had 13 factors and 5 assists whereas getting back from a sore proper Achilles that brought about him to overlook Sport 5. Karl-Anthony Cities had 10 factors, 13 rebounds and 5 assists whereas enjoying efficient protection towards three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Rudy Gobert (8 factors, 14 rebounds) and Reid (10 factors and 11 rebounds off the bench) each made their mark as effectively.
Conley, 36, is in his seventeenth season and has gone 0-4 in Sport 7s in his profession. The newest loss was to those identical Nuggets when Conley was with the Utah Jazz within the first spherical of the 2020 playoffs within the NBA bubble. Trailing 80-78 because the clock ticked down within the fourth quarter, Conley acquired an outlet cross close to heart court docket and tried a game-winning pull-up 3 from the left wing as time expired.
It rimmed out and the Nuggets superior.
“I’ve replayed it so much [in my mind],” Conley mentioned Saturday. “Having that chance to win a Sport 7 like that and never be capable to make the shot was robust. Now right here we’re in the same state of affairs, the place we get to play the identical group, a whole lot of the identical guys. So for me, it is simply one thing I have been occupied with for a very long time.”
Now on his third group with greater than a full season’s price of postseason video games underneath his belt — Sunday will mark his 88th — Conley is aware of that he may not have too many extra bites on the apple.
“He talked about earlier than the playoffs that this may be considered one of his greatest and final possibilities to have an opportunity like this and successful the ring or going deep within the playoffs,” Cities mentioned of Conley. “All of us have great respect for him. We’d like to be at our greatest, particularly tomorrow, and proceed this journey of doubtless getting him a hoop. I believe all of us can agree that we might do something for Mike Conley.”
The 22-year-old Edwards has by no means performed in a Sport 7 earlier than. The West semis are simply the fourth playoff collection of his four-year profession.
Whereas he additionally has heaped reward on the Wolves’ veteran level guard because the playoffs have progressed — going as far as to say that Conley’s presence was the distinction in Minnesota successful Sport 6 after dropping Sport 5 with out him — Edwards has his personal motivation for Sunday.
Identical to he wished to complete off Reid within the taking pictures competitors after follow, he desires to defeat Denver.
“I wish to win it for myself,” Edwards mentioned, matter-of-factly, when requested if he wished to win Sport 7 for Conley. “I wasn’t with Mike every time he was in Sport 7s, in order that has nothing to do with me.
“Yeah, I wish to win it for myself.”
