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Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards revealed the hilarious reason he shot a game-winning three against the Houston Rockets. The Timberwolves' thrilling road victory was their second straight win over a Western Conference contender. Ant had a flair for the dramatics in this showdown, rallying Minnesota from a 16-point deficit and hitting a go-ahead stepback three with 23 seconds remaining. Gilbert Arenas shockingly inspired Edwards' decision to take this shot.
In the postgame interview, the Timberwolves' superstar revealed his decision to take a three while down by two to the Rockets.
“All I know was the play was for Ju (Julius Randle) to go 14—big-small pick-and-roll. When JT (Jae'Sean Tate) got up, I had to go get it. Sh*t. And Keil (Nickeil Alexander-Walker) found me, he cut me off, I'm like ‘sh*t I'm going for the win. Like Gilbert Arenas said, I don't do overtime, so f*ck it.”
A key player for the Timberwolves stepped up on Friday
The Timberwolves have had an uneven season, to say the least, so far. Coming off a 56-win year and Conference Finals appearance, Minnesota is 16-14. That record currently sits at eighth in the West. On numerous occasions, Anthony Edwards has put the team on blast for some tough losses it has picked up. However, the franchise underwent a significant change over the offseason, trading star center Karl-Anthony Towns.
The two main pieces Minnesota picked up in the blockbuster deal were three-time All-Star forward Julius Randle and sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo. Both players have been going through some expected growing pains with their new team. Randle was coming off season-ending shoulder surgery and hadn't played since January when he joined his new team. Julius, however, despite some defensive lapses, has gotten off to a solid start, averaging 20.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists over 29 games.
The same cannot be said for DiVincenzo. The 2021 NBA champion set multiple Knicks three-point records in 2023. So far in Minnesota, DiVincenzo has averaged 9.0 points on 33.5 percent shooting from distance. That is more than a six-point drop from last year's and almost a seven percent drop in three-point shooting. But the “Big Ragu” showed flashes of last year's form tonight.
DiVincenzo scored 22 points on six out of ten shooting from deep against the Rockets. He additionally had four assists, two steals, and one block. That stat line reflects the impact Donte can have on a game on any given night, which is crucial for the Timberwolves.
Minnesota's offense needs to give star Anthony Edwards as much space as possible to attack the basket. Ant is currently shooting a career-high 9.9 three-point shots per game. While that strategy has actually resulted in Edwards hitting a career-high from deep, giving the star shooting guard some more unpredictability would make the Timberwolves even more lethal. That's where a player like DiVincenzo becomes vital.
The Timberwolves will ultimately rise in the West standings if Donte can regain his New York form. The impact of a shooter of his caliber cannot be underestimated in the modern NBA.
