Anthony Edwards drops 36, Wolves tie series

Minnesota got the one thing it absolutely needed — a home win and a reset of the series. Anthony Edwards scored 36, the Timberwolves beat the Spurs 114-109 on Sunday, May 10, and the West semifinal is tied 2-2 heading back to San Antonio. But the game turned on two separate things. Edwards took over late, and Victor Wembanyama got tossed early. (usnews.com) ### What actually swung this game? Edwards did. More specifically, fourth-quarter Edwards did. He scored 16 of his 36 in the final period, hit a deep 3 to pull Minnesota close, then knocked down another with 5:12 left to give the Wolves their first lead since the middle of the third. (usnews.com) That was the moment the building flipped and the series mood flipped with it. ### Why is everyone talking about Wembanyama? Because the game changed in the second quarter. Wembanyama caught Naz Reid with an elbow to the neck and, after review, officials called a Flagrant 2 and ejected him automatically. It was his first career ejection, and it removed San Antonio’s defensive eraser — the guy who changes every drive just by standing near the rim. (usnews.com) ### Did Minnesota dominate after that? Not really — and that’s part of why this was tense. The Wolves had the obvious advantage once Wembanyama left, but San Antonio’s guards kept the game alive. Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox scored 24 each, Stephon Castle added 20, and the Spurs kept generating pull-up jumpers and paint touches without their biggest star. Minnesota still had to be rescued, basically, by Edwards’ shot-making late. (usnews.com) ### So how did the Wolves finally close it? They attacked the space Wembanyama usually owns. Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 13 rebounds, including a three-point play with 3:02 left and a dunk that pushed the lead to 107-101. Reid, who took the elbow earlier, finished with 15 points and nine boards and added a follow shot with 40 seconds left that gave Minnesota a seven-point cushion. (usnews.com) Ayo Dosunmu’s two free throws with 9.8 seconds left basically sealed it. ### Why does Edwards’ night matter beyond the box score? Because this is the version of Minnesota that can win the round. Edwards wasn’t just high-volume good. He was bailout good. When the offense got sticky and the Spurs kept hanging around, he created the separation himself. He also did it efficiently — 13-for-22 from the field and 3-for-5 from deep — which matters in a game where every empty trip felt huge. (usnews.com) ### What changes now? Home court, pressure, and maybe availability. Game 5 is in San Antonio on Tuesday, May 12, and the series is suddenly best-of-three. The other wrinkle is Wembanyama’s status. The ejection itself ended Game 4, but the league still has to decide whether the Flagrant 2 leads to anything more. That uncertainty now sits on top of the basketball stuff. (usnews.com) ### Is this now Minnesota’s series? Not quite. The Wolves got the correction they needed, but not clean control. San Antonio proved it can stay dangerous even without Wembanyama for long stretches, which is both impressive and a little alarming for Minnesota. The Wolves found their closer. They still haven’t found total command. (si.com) ### Bottom line? This was the Anthony Edwards game Minnesota had to have. It tied the series, saved home court from feeling wasted, and turned Game 5 into the real hinge point. But the catch is simple — the result was about both Edwards’ brilliance and Wembanyama’s absence, and the next game will tell you which factor matters more. (usnews.com)