Anthony Edwards Honors Late Mother With 16-Point 4th Quarter to Even Series

Minnesota Timberwolves tied the series 2-2 after Anthony Edwards and his teammates won Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs.

Anthony Edwards Honors Late Mother With 16-Point 4th Quarter to Even Series

Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter to help the Timberwolves even their playoff series against the Spurs.
  • He was motivated to win the game in honor of his late mother, who passed away from cancer in 2015.
  • Victor Wembanyama was ejected from the game, potentially giving the Timberwolves an advantage in the series.

Anthony Edwards did not have the best of moments to start this postseason, as injuries have either kept him out of games or made him less effective than he is generally expected to be.

Earlier in the regular season, the 24-year-old guard struggled with a few small injuries to various parts of his body. But mostly, his knees have kept him away from the court.

He eventually returned to the postseason, but again suffered a hyperextension after landing awkwardly during the first-round series against the Denver Nuggets.

Recovery from it was not fast enough, which explains why he came off the bench in the first two games of the current second-round series against the San Antonio Spurs.

By the time Game 3 came about, he had rested enough to start and even score 32 points in a loss. But in game 4, he ensured his effort would not go in vain.

Today is Mother’s Day. I just wanted to win for my mom, it was that simple… I couldn’t lose this game for her.

Anthony Edwards told reporters

This was the former first overall pick’s response when asked what motivated him to go on a scoring run that saw the game tilt in their favor.

His answer clearly indicates that he had a purpose. Anthony Edwards lost his mother, Yvette, and his grandmother, Shirley, within a span of eight months, to cancer, back in 2015.

He was in eighth grade at the time, and his mother never saw him grow up and become the basketball star that he is now. As he stated, he had to ensure he could honor her memory with a win.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves received a big boost when officials tossed Victor Wembanyama in the second quarter. Anthony Edwards has routinely talked about how difficult it is with the Frenchman on the floor.

Even though the rest of the San Antonio Spurs rallied in the third quarter to gain a four-point lead entering the fourth, the Georgia Bulldog was waiting to do his part.

From the start of the fourth quarter, the Atlanta native went on a heater, scoring 16 points to push his Timberwolves into a lead they would not relinquish.

Other than the motivation to honor his late mother, Edwards looked energetic and hyped about how well his team was playing. At one point, he hit a three-pointer, yelled at the Spurs bench, and tapped head coach Mitch Johnson on the chest.

The second-year coach could not do anything much other than smile at the Timberwolves guard. Even he knew the hot-handed Anthony Edwards was not going to let this game go.

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Anthony Edwards’ Wolves have a chance with Victor Wembanyama possibly out

Victor Wembanyama was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and was immediately tossed. An automatic ejection generally calls for a one-game suspension, just like how Draymond Green suffered in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Anthony Edwards and head coach Chris Finch
Anthony Edwards and head coach Chris Finch (Image via Wolves/X)

However, the Spurs can appeal. If the NBA agrees to their appeal and downgrades it to a Flagrant 1, that could open the possibility of the center returning for Game 5.

There is a chance that the NBA upholds the suspension. If so, Anthony Edwards and his Minnesota Timberwolves have a chance to be one step ahead of their rivals.

Game 5 will be in front of the Spurs’ faithful, and it could be a daunting task. Despite that, the Wolves have experience of upsetting their opponents in front of their home fans.

If they can rally around their young superstar, by the time Victor Wembanyama returns in Game 6, the series lead could likely be in Edwards’ hands.

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