Anthony Edwards’ 44 points, game-saving block carry Wolves،
INDIANAPOLIS — Anthony Edwards tied his season high with 44 points, made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:11 left and made a spectacular block at the buzzer to give the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves a victory of 113-111 over the Indiana Pacers Thursday night.
Edwards flew out to reject a last-second layup from the Pacers' Aaron Nesmith, hitting his head on the rim as time expired. Edwards fell heavily to the ground but quickly got back up and screamed, flexed his muscles and punched Rudy Gobert's chest in celebration.
“My pain tolerance is high,” Edwards said during an on-field interview with Bally Sports North. “I fell really hard at that point, on that boulder. I think I'm a pretty tough guy, though.”
Gobert added 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who played without All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns. Minnesota moved into first place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City.
“His shooting was next level,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said when asked about Edwards. “Even when we overtook him, he got away from us. Listen, he's a great player and that's why every second of every minute of every game counts.”
Edwards was masterful in Minnesota's second straight victory, accounting for the team's final eight points while making 18 of 35 from the field with three 3-pointers and six rebounds in a back-and-forth game that none of the no two teams led by more than five on the field. Last 20 minutes.
Pascal Siakam scored 24 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 23 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, who trailed by 17 points in the first half but led 104-103. Siakam's powerful dunk with 2 minutes remaining. Indiana has lost three of four and is eighth in the East.
Even without Towns, Minnesota managed to hold the league's highest-scoring team nearly 13 points below its average.
“I thought the defensive game plan was on point,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “I thought our players really executed in the first half, but got a little slack in the second half. Sure, they made some adjustments, but we were able to turn them around a lot early.”
And Edwards made them pay, time and time again.
Although he limped off 26 seconds into the game, Edwards helped Minnesota make it 54-37 midway through the second quarter. He finished the first half with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Indiana cut the halftime deficit to 60-49, opened the second half on a 19-4 run and eventually took a 68-66 lead midway through the third quarter when Myles Turner converted a Minnesota dunk turnover.
From there, neither team could take control – until Edwards capped his final big flurry with the decisive block.
“I found my second wind at the end of the fourth, and it was over,” Edwards told Bally Sports North. “Once I found my second wind, I knew no one could stop me.”
The Pacers were also shorthanded. Starting goaltender Bennedict Mathurin was out with a shoulder injury and is expected to miss at least three more games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
