"I came out with no energy. I came out flat" - Anthony Edwards takes accountability for the blowout loss to the Nuggets
After winning the first two games on the road, the Minnesota Timberwolves came to Target Center with a chance to take a commanding 3-0 lead against the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately for the Wolves, the defending champions would not go down that easily.
Denver had a fantastic performance, winning the game 117-90, with now-three-time MVP Nikola Jokic posting a near-triple-double of 24 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. Minnesota had a rough performance, only shooting 43.7% from the field compared to the Nuggets' 53.8%. After the lackluster performance, Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards has taken responsibility for the loss and is ready to bounce back in Game 4.
“I don’t know, man, it’s on me. I’ll take the blame for this loss, I came out with no energy at all. I came out flat. I can’t afford to do that for my team,” Edwards said in the locker room after Game 3. “I let my team and my coaches down, the fans down, so I’ll be ready on Sunday.”
Edwards is ready to show out in Game 4
Ant recognized that he was energetic in the pre-game warmup but did not significantly impact Game 3. He led the Timberwolves in scoring with 19 points on a decent 8-for-15 shooting night from the field, but the rest of the team struggled. Karl-Anthony Towns only scored 14, while Mike Conley and Jaden McDaniels contributed ten points each.
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In a game like that, the team’s superstar usually accepts responsibility and takes over, but Ant did not display the energy to do so in Game 3. Edwards took immediate accountability because he knew he could do better, as he will for sure bounce back in Game 4.
“I like the fact that they punched tonight, we didn’t punch back. That’s the thing about basketball, that’s fun. I love to compete so, it should be very competitive on Sunday and we’re gonna be here for it,” Anthony continued. “There’s no reason to be negative, they won one game, and we’re gonna try to win the next game. It’s the first to four games, it’s not the first to one… We’ll be alright.”
Denver is motivated to win the series
The result was a much-needed victory for the defending champs who looked lethargic in the first two games. As a result, many doubted the Nuggets to bounce back, and head coach Michael Malone made sure to use that as motivation by showing his players a video of people counting them out.
Malone’s ploy worked because the Nuggets looked motivated out of the gate. Jamal Murray finally had a good game, scoring 24 points to help guide Denver to the victory. Of course, Jokic was his usual self, playmaking, dominating the boards, and controlling the pace.
Michael Porter Jr. was also superb, hitting four three-pointers to help the Nuggets stretch the floor. Game 3 was a fantastic counter-punch from Denver, and people should expect this team to keep playing like this and display their championship experience from the previous season.
