The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered a devastating 114-88 defeat in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, but star guard Anthony Edwards remains unfazed despite his team's second-half collapse.
'I feel great,' Edwards declared after the game, despite a performance that saw him score just five points after halftime, finishing with 18 points on a modest 5-for-13 shooting night.
Rather than dwelling on the 30-point second-half deficit, Edwards immediately outlined his strategy for Thursday's Game 2: 'I definitely got to shoot more. I only took 13 f------ shots,' he said bluntly. 'Probably just get off the ball a little more, play without the ball. I think that will be the answer.'
Edwards' 13 field goal attempts marked his lowest total in 11 postseason games this year, with only one shot coming inside the paint. When questioned about his approach, Edwards pointed to Oklahoma City's defensive schemes.
'They clogged the paint,' Edwards explained. 'That's what they do. They don't got much size down there, so they bank on us not making shots, I guess. Because every time I go to the rim it's like four people in the paint.'
The Thunder's strategy effectively limited Minnesota to just 20 paint points – the franchise's lowest playoff total since the 2004 Western Conference finals against the Lakers.
While Edwards willingly distributed the ball, his teammates couldn't capitalize. The Wolves set a franchise playoff record with 51 three-point attempts but connected on just 29.4% of them. Key contributors like Nickeil Alexander-Walker (2-for-9), Mike Conley (1-for-5), and Naz Reid (0-for-7) all struggled from beyond the arc.
Julius Randle provided a bright spot with 28 points on efficient 9-for-13 shooting, including five three-pointers in the first half, but his production declined significantly after halftime.
'That's on me, I got to get him the ball,' admitted Wolves coach Chris Finch. 'I got to get him more involved to start the second half.'
According to analysis from Statbet, Minnesota's second-half offensive efficiency ranked among the lowest of any playoff team this season, highlighting the dramatic dropoff after a competitive first half.
The Timberwolves also failed to protect the basketball, committing 19 turnovers that Oklahoma City converted into 31 points. This execution gap proved decisive in the game's outcome.
Edwards believes that working more off-ball could be the solution: 'I should be all right: play without the ball a little more, get a little more cardio in. I should be good.'
While Minnesota also lost Game 1 against Golden State in the previous round before winning four straight, Randle cautioned against expecting an automatic turnaround.
'We proved that we can do it, but we got to make it happen, too,' Randle said. 'We can't just be like, 'All right, we did it last series... we're going to do it again.' This is a great team. They've been playing great basketball all year.'
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET, giving Minnesota limited time to adjust their approach as they look to even the series.
