Edwards expresses his disappointment in the team’s elimination.
The Minnesota Timberwolves lost 103-124 to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the 2023-2024 NBA Conference Finals at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, on Monday (Jan. 31).
The loss ended Minnesota’s season, eliminating them from the playoffs with a 1-4 series deficit.
It was a blowout, if not a desperation game. After Luka Doncic set the tone early with 20 points in the first quarter alone, Dallas dominated Minnesota for the rest of the game and cruised to an easy win. Dallas is headed to the Finals for the first time since the Dirk Nowitzki era.
It was a disappointing series for Minnesota. Most experts expected Minnesota to dominate, but it turned out differently. The one-two punch of Doncic and Kyrie Irving was too much to handle.
The Mavs, on the other hand, had Anthony Edwards, but were unable to match up with Karl-Anthony-Towns’ struggles. Game 5 was the only game in the five-game series between Minnesota and Dallas that was decided by double digits. That’s how close the game was.
Despite the disappointing loss, the future is bright for Minnesota. The positive is that Edwards, entering his fourth season, has established himself as the team’s undisputed ace.
Edwards led the way for Minnesota in the playoffs, never looking out of place against superstars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Jamal Murray. With Edwards, Minnesota is in a position to contend for the next five years or more.
They also completed the twin-tower combination of Towns and Rudy Gobert that failed to work last season. Gobert’s strong defense and 사설토토 Towns’ versatility allowed the twin towers to coexist and helped Minnesota surge to the top of the Western Conference.
Despite falling short in the Finals, there’s plenty to be positive about for Minnesota, but Edwards didn’t see it that way.
In a postgame interview, Edwards said, “We’ve never been beaten as a team in the conference finals. Not even one game,” Edwards said in a harsh criticism.