Bad news for the Minnesota Timberwolves as superstar guard Anthony Edwards is set to miss up to two months with a knee injury.

Edwards tweaked his knee in the home opener against the Toronto Raptors and had been dealing with knee problems since last season. He was shown grabbing at his knee in pain and discomfort. He was listed as questionable and called day-to-day before an MRI showed worse damage than he originally thought, even though he was cleared to play on Monday, played 41 minutes and scored 47 points.

“They get to Miami in the season opener, and he’s playing and playing well, but from what I’m told at some point in that game, there was a tweak of some sort that happened with his right knee. They got new imaging with an MRI, and it revealed a worse situation than had been examined this last summer in July,” said Athletic senior writer Jon Krawczynski.

Edwards missed 21 games last season, around a fourth of the season. None of his missed time proved costly, as he played most of the playoffs.

This year is a different story, and could be quite costly.

Edwards needs to reach the 65-game threshold this year to be eligible for a $304 million supermax contract extension if he finishes as All-NBA.

The focus for the Timberwolves and Edwards, who will not struggle to make a nice chunk regardless, will still be winning a championship. They won’t rush him back if he’s not ready.

The role becomes larger for LaMelo Ball, who will need to step up in Edwards’ absence. In Edwards’ 21 missed games last season, the team went 12-9 and held up their end of the bargain, and the challenge resurfaces for the team’s 2026-2027 campaign.

Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards will be out multiple weeks after suffering a bone bruise and a hyperextended knee against the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the first round.

Donte DiVincenzo also got hurt in Game 4, suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Despite this, the Timberwolves won 112-96.

Ayo Dosunmu stepped up after the injuries to Edwards and Divincenzo. He scored a career high of 43 points off the bench. Naz Reid also provided a spark off the bench with 17 points.

Through the first half, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray played very well for the Nuggets. Jokic had 14 points on 58% shooting, and Murray had 13 points on 46% shooting. In the second half, both shot under 40%. Jokic only hit one shot in 10 attempts. 

Christian Braun and Cam Johnson both found ways to be productive. However, they aren’t the stars of the Nuggets. When Jokic and Murray struggle, it’s hard for the Nuggets to win, even if other players step up. 

Edwards’ injury could’ve changed the game for the Timberwolves, but they may have already been prepared for the possibility of Edwards getting injured. Before this game, the Timberwolves said that Edwards was dealing with a runner’s knee. Runner’s knee happens when the knee is overused. It causes pain around and behind the kneecap. 

There are very few examples in NBA history of players getting runner’s knees. This could be due to the older generation’s slower pace or to sports science’s inability to track injuries as well. However, Stephen Curry has also dealt with runner’s knee this season. He missed several weeks after an MRI on his knee in February revealed the knee problem. 

With Edwards and DiVincenzo out, Dosunmu will likely become a starter. He started 19 games this season, including nine with the Timberwolves. 

Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards will officially be ineligible for All-NBA honors after failing to meet the 65-game requirement for end-of-season awards.

Edwards is currently third in the league in points per game and was named an All-Star, but will not be able to make an All-NBA team following two consecutive appearances on an All-NBA team.

The 65-game rule is a controversial one that some like, and some don’t, and there are obviously pros and cons to it, but someone like Edwards should almost certainly make an All-NBA team. Technically, Edwards can play 65 games, but because he only played three minutes in one of those games, it does not count since the minimum minutes required is 20.

Edwards’s missing out on these honors has huge ramifications for him and his money. An All-NBA selection would have secured him the supermax contract extension that he will be eligible to sign in 2027. He now has to make an All-NBA team next season to be eligible for the supermax.

Players such as Cade Cunningham, Nikola Jokic, and Kawhi Leonard are all one game away from being disqualified from end-of-season awards, and they would only join players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and LeBron James.

Team USA Stars have won the NBA All-Star Game after defeating Team World and Team USA Stripes.

The NBA debuted a new format for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. There were three All-Star teams – two USA teams and a World team.

The first game was between Team World and Team USA Stars. Anthony Edwards had 13 points and two rebounds for the USA Stars. Meanwhile, for Team World, Victor Wembanyama had 14 points and six rebounds. The game went to overtime with Team USA Stars winning 37-35.

Team USA Stars took on Team USA Stripes in the second game. Cade Cunningham had 11 points and four assists for the Stars. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown scored 11 points and had three rebounds for the Stripes. The Stripes won this matchup 42-40.

Team Stripes won the third game against Team World, setting up a final between Team Stars and Team Stripes. Tyrese Maxey had nine points and two rebounds for the Stars. Donovan Mitchell had six points and one rebound for the Stripes. Although the previous three games were close, the final game ended in a blowout, 47-21. 

Edwards won the MVP for the All-Star Game. He scored 32 points in the three games he played. 

Kawhi Leonard got serious consideration for All-Star MVP despite playing for the losing Stripes. In Game 3, he scored 31 points in 12 minutes against Team World. He shot 11 of 13 from the field and six of seven from three-point range.  

The 2027 NBA All-Star Game will be on Feb. 21, 2027, at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. It’s unclear at this time if the NBA will keep this format for the 2027 NBA All-Star Game. The format received positive reviews for getting players to play harder than they usually do in the All-Star game. 

Minnesota Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards was fined $50,000 for “using profane language during a media interview,” the NBA announced Wednesday.

The Timberwolves lost 114-88 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Edwards struggled during the game as he shot 5-of-13 from the field in the loss, as he scored his second-lowest scoring output of the postseason with 18 points. Edwards also had four turnovers and had a plus/minus of -23 when he was on the court.

Earlier in the game, Edwards was assessed a technical foul for throwing the ball back at 2025 League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after a play where Gilgeous-Alexander got fouled. Edwards went back to the locker room after turning his ankle on a landing but was able to return to the floor midway through the second quarter.

Following the loss, Edwards lamented during his postgame news conference that he only took “13 f—ing shots” in the defeat, which led to the $50,000 fine from the NBA.

“I definitely got to shoot more. I took 13 f–– shots,” Edwards said postgame. “But I’ll say probably just get off the ball a little more. Play without the ball. I think that would be the answer, because playing on the ball, they’re just going to double and sit in the gaps all day. So I’ve got to go watch some film and take it apart and figure it out.”

The fine bumped Edwards’ total discipline bill by the league to a total of $430,000 so far for the season.

This comes after star forward Jalen Williams was fined $25,000 for wearing a shirt that said, “F— art, let’s dance,” to his postgame press conference after the Thunder’s series win over the Nuggets on Sunday.

The Thunder lead the best-of-seven series 1-0, with Game 2 on Thursday.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards said that the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is his MVP pick for the 2024-25 season. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points in another awe-inspiring performance Wednesday, leading Oklahoma City to a 113-105 victory over Edwards and the Timberwolves.

“He’s consistent every night,” Edwards said. “His team gonna give him the ball and just let him rock out every night. It’s nothing to think about. ‘Hey, get Shai the ball and he going to get busy, and then we’re going to figure it out after that.’ I love watching that. It’s incredible, man. If he is keeping him like that, I hope they give [MVP] to him this year for sure. I feel like he should have won it last year, but he’s playing out his mind right now.”

Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in MVP voting behind Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic last season, finishing with 30.1 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists. This season, he is scoring 31.2 points per game, putting up nearly identical stats across the board while leading the Thunder to a 25-7 record, five games ahead of the next team in a stacked Western Conference. Oklahoma City has long been considered the team of the future, and that team is now a frightening force in the West.

As the best player on an undeniable championship contender, Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP case is only gaining momentum as he sustains an elite performance level season over season. Voter fatigue is an undeniable factor, but the only difference between Gilgeous-Alexander’s case last year and this year is that the Thunder have gained more territory in the national conversation. He remains the same player, one that was likely deserving of the award a year ago. 

Edwards is a phenomenal player in his own right, slowly maturing into a leader on a young and sometimes aimless Timberwolves team. But recognizing Gilgeous-Alexander as the league’s best player is an affirmation that the future is squarely behind him. At this rate, his ascension seems inevitable.

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Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was hit with his third fine of the season on Monday after going off on the officiating of the Timberwolves’ 113-103 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

“F—ing terrible, all of ’em, besides the woman,” Edwards told reporters. “But the other two dudes, terrible. Excuses, the reason they call the foul, the reason they don’t call the foul, the s— was terrible. They don’t want to talk back to my coach. They don’t want to talk back to me. I said one thing to the ref, and he gave me a tech. Motherf—er told one of my teammates [that] if I would have said, ‘Y’all calling a bad foul,’ he wouldn’t have gave me a tech…. They never give us the benefit – they penalize me and [Julius Randle] for being stronger than our opponent every night. We don’t get no calls. So, yeah, that’s how I feel about the officials. Every game that we play.”

Edwards disparaged the officiating throughout the season, claiming that it’s discouraged himself and his teammates from attacking the basket. “I get penalized for being stronger than my opponent,” he complained.

He was fined $75,000 for “public criticism of the officiating and using inappropriate and profane language,” bringing his total amount fined to $135,000 on the season.

Edwards was also fined $40,000 for “repeatedly criticizing the officiating” last season, following a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“So I don’t know what’s gotta go down,” he said, discussing what he characterized as consistently bad officiating, “But something gotta happen ’cause that s— is terrible.”

“It’s like having Mariano Rivera and Dennis Eckersley,” remarked TNT commentator Reggie Miller on the clutch play of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.

Dallas has two of the best closers in the league, and once again, they came through in crunch time. Through three games, the point differential between the two teams is 12 points.

The Mavericks are 3-0.

Doncic and Irving took a winding road to perform at this level in front of the brightest lights, but they are making the most of their moment. After combining for 63 points in game one, they each dropped 33 last night on 20 shots while playing over 40 minutes. They scored or assisted on every Maverick basket from the six-minute mark in the fourth quarter until the end of the game, but Irving’s dagger with a minute left put Dallas up six, securing the win. More impressively, Minnesota fielded the best defense in the NBA in the regular season and bullied Jamal Murray in the last series. Dallas duo’s domination is not coming against lousy opposition. They are breaking down a defense with the defensive player of the year and rendering him ineffective. Now, the Mavericks are one win away from their first NBA finals appearance in a decade.

Back on their home floor, and in front of Patrick Mahomes, Dallas played their best first half of the Western Conference Finals. P.J. Washington carried the offense early, scoring or assisting on eight of the first 19 Mavericks points. Irving closed the quarter with five points in the final 90 seconds, as the Mavs lead 33-28 at the end of one.

The three-point shooting advantage went decisively in Dallas’ favor the whole night, beginning in the second quarter. Three of Dallas’ first five makes in the second came from the long ball, helping extend their advantage to 12 at the midway point in the second. The Mavs went 14-28 from behind the arc in the game, compared to a dismal 9-30 performance from the Timberwolves. Jason Kidd’s squad went into halftime with a lead for the first time all series, but Minnesota’s points on four out of their five final possessions cut into their advantage.

Trailing 60-52 and 2-0 in the series, Minnesota never looked rattled. They saw Denver almost come back down from the same series line in the previous round and knew they needed to settle down and find their game. Led by Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves played their best 12 minutes of the night. They scored 35 points in the third and made 4-6 threes, compared to one Dallas triple. Edwards came alive with ten points, including a slam that could be considered the best dunk of the playoffs. Minnesota turned the up-and-down pace into a physical street fight that suits their style. At the end of three, the teams were knotted up at 87, with each group desperate for a win.

It feels like the only way to beat this Mavericks team right now is to blow them out because if the game is close late, the two closers will turn out the lights. Irving scored the first seven points for Dallas in the fourth as he kept pace with a hot Minnesota start coming out of the T.V. timeout. The teams stayed within one possession of each other for the first ten minutes of the quarter before Irving passed the baton to Doncic, who hit a highly contested 11-foot jump shot, putting Dallas up 109-105 with two minutes to go. Karl-Anthony Towns had a chance to atone for his disastrous shooting night but clanked his eighth consecutive miss from three off the rim with 1:25 left before Irving ended it with a fallaway jumper on the ensuing possession. An alley-oop to Daniel Gafford, who came on for an injured Derek Lively II, put the exclamation point on another hard-fought, clutch win. Dallas can close out the Timberwolves on their home floor Tuesday and complete a sweep in the WCF for the second straight season.

The Dallas Mavericks were not supposed to win this game.

After the Mavs came from behind and stole game one on the road, Minnesota threw their best punch, needing a split to keep pace in the Western Conference Finals.

Everything went according to plan until Luka Doncic had different ideas.

Since going 6-20 in game four of the semifinals, Doncic dropped 29 or more points in the next four games, played over 40 minutes in all of them and the Mavs are 4-0.

Last night, the Slovenian sensation unleashed his full potential, scoring 32 points, making 13 assists, and securing ten rebounds, a triple-double. His late-game heroics draw most of the attention, but without his play up until that point, Dallas would not be in that position. Doncic outperformed every other star on the floor. His running mate, Kyrie Irving, put up only 20 points while taking 16 shots. Minnesota’s best player, Anthony Edwards, looks exhausted and shot 29% from the field, and Karl-Anthony Towns sat on the bench in crunch time in favor of Naz Reid. Add in that Doncic’s game-winning shot went over the 7’1” defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert and game two will be remembered as the Luka Doncic game if Dallas holds on to win the series.

Like the ending of game one, the teams went shot for shot in the first quarter. They stayed within one possession of each other for the first nine minutes of the frame before a Reid three gave Minnesota an early six-point lead. The sixth man of the year’s shot destroyed the Dallas defense. He went 7-9 from long range while making his first five. The offensive explosion continued to start the second as another Reid triple capped off a 16-9 run in the first four minutes of the quarter, giving Minnesota a 48-33 advantage. Their lead swelled to 18 after an Edwards three, but Dallas scored on four of their final five possessions to end the half and whittled the deficit to 12.

Mike Conley went to the line for three shots for three shots after being fouled on a long-range jumper, and Minnesota went ahead by 15 for the first time in the second half. But Doncic did not go away and began to heat up. With 7:21 left in the third, he scored or assisted on the following nine Dallas points, cutting the lead to six. Minnesota scored on their last five possessions of the quarter, with another Reid three as an exclamation point, but Dallas found themselves within seven, heading into the fourth.

All the Mavericks needed was a chance.

Irving took the load off Doncic to start the frame and scored or assisted on all eight points of an 8-0 Dallas run, putting his team in front for the first time 87-86. From then on, neither team went down by more than five for the rest of the game. Two free throws with 1:29 from Edwards capped 12 straight possessions that ended in points coming from dunks, layups, or free throws for either squad. The sides attacked each other inside as fatigue and intensity increased. But Irving chose the perfect time to hit Dallas’ first three of the frame.

A Doncic drive and kick left the PG alone in the corner, and he sunk the shot, pulling his team within two. Two straight Minnesota turnovers left the door open for Dallas, and Doncic burst through with a game-winning three after a Kidd timeout with 12 seconds to go. Reid missed a three on the other end as Minnesota lost the series’ first two games at home. The backcourt duo of Irving and Doncic are performing reminiscent of the Golden State Warriors run and find themselves two wins away from an NBA finals appearance.

“I got Kyrie,” Anthony Edwards proclaimed after winning game seven in Denver. The budding star wanted to send a message to the Mavericks that they would come after Dallas’ best players and be forced to earn everything.

Kyrie Irving heard him loud and clear.

In game one of the Western Conference Finals, Irving and his partner Luka Doncic obliterated their matchups and the Timberwolves’ defense. The former scored 24 points in the first half on 11-14 shooting as he knifed into the paint and danced around the rim. The latter put on the finishing touches of a comeback win as Doncic dropped 15 in the fourth and made two massive defensive stops to seal the victory. When the Mavericks stars play at the top of their game, it can be a helpless feeling for a defense. Each can create off the dribble, get to their spots and make highly contested jumpers feel like shooting practice. Even on a day when Dallas shot 24% from three, the offense generated from those two kept the team afloat before storming back in the fourth, taking game one on the road.

Early on, only Irving seemed to pack his offensive game with him on the flight from Dallas. Powered by their home crowd, the Timberwolves led 16-8 after the first six minutes of play due to their three-point shooting and perimeter defense. Edwards canned the fourth of six triples at the four-minute mark, giving Minnesota their largest lead of the game at nine. However, Irving did not let the game get out of reach, and he scored five of Dallas’ nine points on a 9-0 run to vault his team back into the game, although Chris Finch’s squad took a six-point advantage at the end of the first.

The second quarter started like the first, as both teams ran cold for the first three minutes. The two sides combined for only four made baskets in the first four minutes as their stars received rest. Once they returned, the offense picked back up before Dallas exploded to end the first half. Trailing 54-47, P.J. Washington and Irving combined for 12 points in two minutes, whittling the deficit to three at the break.

Both teams came out of halftime throwing haymakers. They combined for 28 points in the first six minutes of the third and went stride for stride. Nothing could split the two, as neither team took more than a one-possession lead from 5:34 until the end of the quarter. Minnesota held a slender 83-82 advantage heading into the fourth, but two straight threes to start the quarter gave them a five-point lead with 11 minutes to go.

Looking like the game was getting away, Dallas made their move.

The Mavericks went on a 13-0 run, flipping a five-point deficit into an eight-point lead with seven minutes remaining. Doncic scored or assisted on 11 of the 13 as he took the baton from Irving and carried the rest of the race.

However, basketball is a game of runs. Minnesota battled back, answering Dallas’ dominance with a 10-0 run of their own, leading 102-98 with 3:37 remaining.

But Doncic would not be denied. He scored five of his team’s following eight points as Dallas led 106-102 with less than a minute remaining. Two clutch Irving free throws put the game on ice as the Mavericks spoiled the first Timberwolves WCF game in 20 years.

They say a series does not start until a team wins on the road.

Dallas did not want to hold anyone in suspense.

It was not supposed to be this way.

The young up-and-coming team taking on the defending champions. A sports-cursed city where everything that can go wrong has gone wrong since the turn of the century. A game seven on the road while trailing by double figures most of the night. All the circumstances pointed to the Timberwolves’ story ending Sunday.

Coming into Sunday night, teams that fell behind by 15 points or more at the half went 0-21.

They are 1-21 now.

Even with Anthony Edwards playing his worst post-season game, Minnesota turned around a 20-point third-quarter deficit into a double-digit lead by the end of the game. Naz Reid played most of the second half off the bench and finished as one of six Minnesota players with double figures. The Timberwolves defense, their calling card for the whole season, suffocated a high-powered Denver offense in the second half to only 37 points as Minnesota flipped the script to meet the Dallas Mavericks in the WCF.

Two different games played out throughout two halves, and in the first one, Denver competed like a team on a mission. Jamal Murray, who started 1-10 in game six, dominated early on. He dropped 13 of his 35 points in the opening 12 minutes and helped secure a five-point lead going into the second quarter. Denver raced out to an 8-0 run over the first three minutes of the frame, leading 32-19. Denver’s defense put Edwards and Co. in a straight jacket the entire half, holding Minnesota to 19 points in both the first and the second as their intensity put Minnesota in a straight jacket for the first half.

It went from bad to worse for Chris Finch’s club as Murray knocked down five straight points in the opening minute of the second half, giving Denver a commanding 58-38 advantage.

With their backs against the wall, Minnesota dug in.

The statistically best defense was worth its weight in gold, as it held Denver to only nine points for the rest of the quarter. Offensively, Minnesota fought its way back into the game with timely threes, making four of its ten long balls in the quarter. Minnesota outscored Denver 28-14 in the third and trailed 67-66.

The teams traded buckets to begin the fourth as five straight possessions ended with points, but Denver could not keep the pace. Nikola Jokic sat only one minute in the second half, and his legs began to wear out. The Nuggets could not keep up defensively and resorted to fouling to slow down the T-Wolves. Minnesota entered the bonus with 7:23 left in the game, and their foul shooting sent them into the next round. They sunk 12 of their 26 made free throws in the fourth and outscored Denver by 12 at the charity stripe for the game.

On the opposite end, Michael Malone could not find an answer for Minnesota’s daunting defense, and the Nuggets crumbled. After a Jokic triple cut their deficit to three, Denver scored only four points for the next four minutes and 41 seconds. By the time the Serbian sunk a free throw, his team trailed 92-83 with 2:05 left in their season. Minnesota took care of business, scoring the rest of their points from free throws or in the paint and completing the improbable and almost impossible comeback 98-90.

Minnesota fell behind in the series 3-2 and trailed the entire first half, but Edwards’ moxy gave the team confidence that Denver could not finish them off. For a 22-year-old to lead his team on the road and never lose faith even while shooting 25% from the floor proves that the next NBA superstar is here.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets need to go back to the drawing board after getting bounced on their home floor. Murray and Jokic did all they could to keep the season alive, combining for 69 of the team’s 90 points. But the rest of the supporting cast let them down. No other player reached double figures, and only one player on the bench played for more than nine minutes. The wear and tear of playing into June last year and facing one of the most physical teams in the playoffs took its toll. For Denver to reach the pinnacle again, they must change their depth over the off-season.

Anthony Edwards does not shy away from the moment.

Even after his team lost three in a row to the defending champions, the 22-year-old called his shot and told the Denver locker room attendants he would see them on Sunday.

He delivered on his promise.

Led by their budding superstar, Minnesota set the court ablaze with a dominating 45-point blowout victory on their home floor. The Timberwolves ran the Nuggets out of the building, going on a 20-0 run in the first quarter and a 24-0 run in the fourth, where they dismantled Michael Malone’s men. Minnesota PG Mike Conley returned from injury after missing game five, and his work as a table setter stabilized a struggling offense coming into Thursday night. When the offense sputtered, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid and Karl-Anthony Towns obliterated Denver on the glass, combining for 41 rebounds between the three big men; Denver corralled only 43 rebounds as a team.

Although the scoreline ended up in the Timberwolves’ favor, the first three minutes looked rocky. Denver raced out to a 9-2 lead, causing Minnesota to call timeout just three minutes into the game. Whatever they said needs to be bottled up and sold to the general public as Chris Finch’s squad ripped off its first 20-0 run of the game. Minnesota scored however they wanted as they sprayed the ball around the perimeter for wide-open threes or dunked it home down low. 23 of the 31 points Minnesota scored in the first quarter came from a triple, layup or dunk. Edwards dropped in 14 points of his own in the opening 12 minutes as his team led 31-14 at the end of the frame.

Denver responded early in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 11 at 8:32 after Aaron Gordon made three. Still, without consistent offense from Jamal Murray, the Nuggets did not get any closer. The star point guard went 1-9 in the first half, including shooting 0-3 from long range. Without his scoring touch and Denver struggling from beyond the arc, they went 7-36 from deep in the game; the Nuggets mustered only 40 points at the half and trailed by an insurmountable 19 points.

Minnesota did not mess around to start the third and continued to jump all over Denver, outscoring their opponent 17-10 in the first six minutes of the quarter. The lead swelled to 25 entering the fourth, but as Malone waved the white flag and took out his starters with ten minutes left in the game, Minnesota sent a message. The Timberwolves torched the Denver reserves as they ripped off 19 consecutive points before the Nuggets made a free throw. Minnesota swished five deep balls in the fourth as their outside shooting burred Denver. They ended up romping Denver by 45 and carried all the momentum on the road in a game seven.

Minnesota had yet to lose three games straight all season.

Unit Tuesday.

With the series shifting back to Denver and the Nuggets carrying all the momentum after taking games three and four in Minnesota, they put forth a professional performance as they went one step closer to defending their title. Nikola Jokic scored 40 points along with 13 assists as his strong offensive play bewildered the best statistical defense in the NBA over the regular season. Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns did a nice job early in the series against the Serbian, but Jokic played like the MVP last night as he put together his best performance of the playoffs. Four other Nuggets players went for double figures, and the balanced offensive attack led to their first win at home against Minnesota.

Both teams traded jabs at the beginning of the game, as each team knew how pivotal game five was. Minnesota started scorching from deep, shooting 4-5 from three, running stride for stride with Denver. However, the Timberwolves could not keep up that pace from long range, and their offense stagnated in the second. Chris Finch‘s club only mustered 18 points in the ensuing quarter as their points disappeared beyond the arc. The Timberwolves finished shooting 4-21 from three after knocking down four of their first five. Considering Denver does not take many threes, a low-scoring, half-court game fit their style of play, and they felt confident going into halftime with a 50-44 lead.

With the game being played at the Nuggets pace, Jokic took over in the third. He scored 16 points in the quarter and assisted on ten more as Denver dropped a 38-point barrage on the Timberwolves, taking a 14-point lead into the fourth. Minnesota star Anthony Edwards did his best to keep pace, scoring half of his points in the third, but it would not be enough. Edwards finished with just five made shots on the night as he cooled off from his blistering start to the series. He will need to regain his usual form if Minnesota can win two games in a row against the defending champions.

The Timberwolves did not quit to start the final frame and cut the lead to ten after a Naz Reid dunk with nine minutes to go, pressuring the Nuggets to call timeout.

Denver threw their knockout punch right after.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s back-to-back threes ignited the Ball Center crowd before a Jokic dunk sent the arena into a frenzy, forcing Finch to call for a stoppage. The Nuggets went on an 8-0 run in 90 seconds and put the game to rest, as Minnesota could only get within 11 before Denver put the finishing touches on a 112-97 victory.

The Nuggets returned to their old ways after falling behind 2-0 in the series. Their efficiency on offense makes it challenging for Minnesota to match their production, and Jokic’s ability to find the open man on almost every possession has begun to frustrate the Timberwolves’ defense. Minnesota can make one last stand on their home floor Thursday night as they look to force a game seven back in Denver.

The Denver Nuggets are the defending champs for a reason.

With star PG Jamal Murray hampered by a calf injury, facing a 2-0 hole and needing two wins on the road in front of a deafening Minnesota crowd, the Nuggets provided their championship mettle and tied the series at two.

On Sunday, Denver once again relied on the stellar performances of its key players, Nikola Jokic, Murray and Aaron Gordon. They stepped up to the challenge and carried the team to victory, reclaiming home-court advantage.

Jokic and Gordon combined to shoot 7-9 in the first quarter as the Nuggets finished the opening 12 minutes leading 29-24. Usually, the three-time MVP provides quieter second quarters as he sits to start the frame. However, with his team down 2-1, he dominated off the bench and put up eight points and three assists in just nine minutes to ensure Denver went into halftime up 15.

Minnesota battled back in the third quarter, led by Anthony Edwards. Arguably the best player of the playoffs so far, Edwards dazzled after the break, scoring 16 points in the third on 6-8 shooting. He put on his athleticism, shot-making ability and never-say-die attitude for the world to see as he singlehandedly tried to pull the Timberwolves back into the contest. Unfortunately, he did not receive much help from the rest of his teammates as Karl-Anthony Towns dried up and shot 5-18 on the night. Edwards finished 5-8 from behind the arc, but the rest of the Timberwolves combined for a disappointing 6-20 effort from long range, with only Mike Conley splashing more than one triple.

Minnesota cut the lead to single digits to start the fourth, but the lack of a balanced or consistent offensive attack eventually did Minnesota in. The Nuggets, led by Jokic, won the assist battle 29-21 and found open shots all night against the statistically best defense in the NBA. Gordon finished 11-12 and knocked down 27 points. Along with his prolific passing, the Serbian scored 16 points in the final frame and lifted Denver to a 115-107 win.

Postgame, Edwards felt that the Nuggets “gained no momentum” and shared that he and Murray exchanged pleasantries at half-court with time expiring. The Timberwolves’ defense keeps them in every game, and their rip-your-heart-out mentality can break even the strongest sides. But, as the series progresses, Denver continues to prove why they were the odds-on favorite to win the title for most of the year.

Jokic has begun to put his fingerprints all over the series after being a non-factor in the opening two games. To make matters worse, Minnesota needs to win another game at 5,280 feet if they want to advance after stealing two on the road earlier in the week. Denver boasted a 33-8 record at the Ball Center during the regular season, and veteran teams do not usually lose three in a row at home.

After a sleepy start to the series, the champs are here.

They just put the rest of the league on notice.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic won his third MVP award Wednesday, beating young Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Mavericks leader Luka Doncic. Jokic and the Nuggets are currently trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves 2-0 in the Western Conference Semifinals, the big man still took a moment to thank his team for the accomplishment.

“It’s got to start with the teammates; without them, I cannot do nothing,” Jokic said Wednesday on Inside the NBA on TNT. “Coaches, players, organization, medical staff, strength coaches, development coaches. It is all one big circle. But I cannot be whatever I am without them.”

Jokic, usually a casual presence in interviews, appeared to be very happy during the segment. He bantered with Shaquille O’Neal, who told him to his face that he believed Gilgeous-Alexander deserved the award. Jokic went on to say that many players deserved it and that it likely came down to minimal differences in play.

Though Jokic seemed to appreciate the honor, his third MVP in four years, he has always stated that personal awards are not nearly as important to him as team accomplishments. After winning his first NBA championship with the Nuggets last year, the chances of a repeat victory are crumbling at the hands of Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.

Instead of an MVP award, Edwards has earned a rarer and potentially more distinctive honor in recent weeks. After a superstar-caliber, series-sweeping performance against the Suns, in which he averaged 31 points per game and two road wins over the Nuggets, the young, swaggering point guard has begun to earn comparisons to Michael Jordan.

For his part, Edwards has tried to downplay these comparisons, claiming that he cannot be expected to size up to a six-time NBA champion. On the other hand, after losing to Denver in four straight games last year, the Timberwolves’ improvement in the 2023-24 season has been drastic. Edwards can take a sizeable amount of credit for that. In Games 1 and 2 against Denver, he scored 43 and 27 points, respectively.

As Jokic turns his attention back to his team for Game 3, he finds himself in an unfamiliar position – he and the Nuggets have not trailed in a playoff series since 2022. As the team prepares for two road games in Minnesota, it will be paramount to win at least one, if not both, of those games to have any realistic chance of moving on to the Western Conference Final.

For more than a decade, the NBA has been dominated by superstars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard.

The four have combined for 12 championships, eight Finals MVPs, seven regular season MVPs and 44 career All-NBA selections. James showed fans the longevity of a player of his caliber, Curry changed the game with his shooting, Durant came into the league as a one-of-a-kind player, and Leonard won two Finals MVPs with two different teams. They are some of the best players the game of basketball has ever seen, but in the league now, they represent a shift, and a changing of the old guard to the new, with a new group of young talent on the rise.

With the 2023-24 NBA regular season beginning to wrap up, the Minnesota Timberwolves sit atop the Western Conference standings. Minnesota’s franchise has been drastically changed with the arrival of Anthony Edwards. The 22-year-old is in his fourth season with the team, averaging a career-high 25.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Edwards came out of Georgia as the first overall pick heralded for his athleticism and infectious attitude. He is the youngest player in league history to make 600 career three-pointers and is one of just a few players in history to score 40 points in a playoff game at age 21.

With Edwards, the Timberwolves have made the playoffs the past two seasons, breaking a streak of missing the playoffs in back-to-back years that dated back almost two decades. Yes, the team also has Karl-Anthony Towns (22, 8, 3 averages) and Rudy Gobert (13, 12, 1 averages), but Edwards has been the star and leader of the team, unafraid of taking the last shot or going up for a dunk against an opposing big-man. Edwards has made All-NBA teams the past two years and looks to lead the Timberwolves past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in 20 years.

One game behind the Timberwolves in the standings is the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 25-year-old is having a career year with averages of 30.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists on 54% shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to bring in Paul George, but since then has only improved on a yearly basis. He also set the team record for 30-point games in a season this year and has led a Thunder team to third in the conference standings at a time when many fans thought they would continue to stockpile draft picks. Along with Gilgeous-Alexander the team also has a group of young stars with Chet Holgrem, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey all under 23 years old.

For the Dallas Mavericks, they had 21 seasons of Dirk Nowitzki leading the team. In his last year, the team drafted Luka Doncic, who has been lighting up the league the moment he stepped in. This season, Doncic is averaging a league-high 33.8 points and an astounding 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game. He would be the only player in history with those averages if his pace this season continues.

Doncic also set a record of six straight triple-doubles and had a career-high 73 points earlier in the season. In his six years with the Mavericks, the Slovenian has never averaged below 20 points per game and is currently third on the NBA’s all-time points per game average at 28.63, only shadowed by Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. At a time when these younger players are turning into superstars, Doncic’s light is shining the brightest.

The San Antonio Spurs sit at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but despite that, they hope to have a bright future ahead. The team drafted Victor Wembanyama with the most recent first overall pick, and since then the rookie has been breaking records and only rising in popularity. The 20-year-old is averaging 21 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.5 blocks per game. He was the first player in league history to record 150 blocks, 150 assists and 75 three-pointers in a season, and recorded the quickest 5×5 game in history. His blocks per game lead the NBA by far, and it would be the most averaged by a player in almost a decade while doing it as a rookie. Wembanyama and the Spurs are near the bottom of the league, but with his talent and skill that hasn’t been seen by a player with his size, the team will slowly build around him as he keeps breaking records.

All four of these players haven’t won an MVP award or even made it to the Finals, for that matter. But as the power grip of Curry, James, Durant, Leonard and other “older” stars begins to dwindle, these new stars will be right there to pick it up. Besides those named, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey, Ja Morant, Scottie Barnes, Paolo Banchero, Alperen Shengun, and Zion Williamson are other players under 25 years old who are on the rise. The power and influence of the NBA is still held by those who had success in the 2010s but that is quickly fading, and when it does, one of these new stars will be the face of the league and sport.

The NBA wrapped up its 2023-24 All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis with the 73rd edition of the All-Star game. Though it was the highest-scoring contest in history, with the East beating the West 211-186, it was marked again by minimal effort by players and a now-famous lack of defense. Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard won the All-Star Game MVP award after finishing with 39 points on 11 made three-pointers for the East.

“And to the Eastern Conference All-Stars, you scored the most points,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said after the game. “Well … congratulations.”

Silver had high expectations that the game would differ from those in the past and offer fans something they hadn’t seen in recent years. Despite his hopes, his sarcastic comments after the game seem to mirror fans’ and players’ thoughts.

“I think it’s something we need to figure out,” Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James said. “Obviously from a player’s perspective, it’s fun to get up and down. But at the end of the day, our competitive nature don’t like to have free-flowing scoring like that.”

The All-Star Game and weekend as a whole have been an issue for the NBA for many years, but the league has done little compared to others to change that. The NFL, NHL and MLB have all restructured their All-Star events to cater to fans and to minimize the lack of effort seen in Indianapolis over the weekend. Silver and the NBA have made groundbreaking changes with the introduction of the Play-In Tournament which is unseen in any other major American sports, but are still looking to fix their All-Star Weekend.

“For me, it’s an All-Star Game, so I will never look at it as being super competitive,” Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said. “It’s always fun. I don’t know what they can do to make it more competitive. I don’t know. I think everyone looks at it … it’s a break, so I don’t think everyone wants to come here and compete.”

Despite the fact that the events are intended to showcase the league’s best talent, the NBA All-Star Game and its lack of competition continue to be an issue.

Along with the fact that the game doesn’t hold any true meaning, players also don’t want to risk an injury, and would rather play safer and less competitive than normal. Fans also experience the downsides of the All-Star weekend as despite paying hundreds of dollars for a ticket to see the best players in the world, they end up just watching a glorified shoot-around. The game over the weekend was also the first since 2020 without an Elam Ending, a final target score that the team’s need to reach, which provided exciting endings in recent years.

“Hopefully, as years go on, [the All-Star Game] gets back to being what the fans wanna see … I guess guys are trying to figure out how to play hard and be safe at the same time,” Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said after the game.

The 2024 All-Star Game was the first NBA game to see a team reach 200 points, but regardless of the record it seems as though changes to create a more competitive game need to be made. The NBA has yet to announce if any changes will be made to their next All-Star Weekend, which will take place at the Chase Center in San Fransisco in 2025.

Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards received a $40,000 fine from the NBA Wednesday for criticizing referees. Edwards repeatedly commented to reporters about officiating decisions after the team’s 107-101 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.

“The refs was bad tonight. Yeah, they was terrible,” Edwards said after the game Tuesday, according to ESPN. “The cat got their tongue tonight, so it’s all good. It’s not fair, but it’s all good.”

The NBA has several rules protecting referees and has levied several similar fines against players and referees in the past. Edwards did not seem vocal during the game, but his comments after the game were more than enough based on league precedent.

Paul George and Steve Kerr have also reportedly received similar fines for the same infraction.

“I’m going to take the fine, because the refs did not give us no calls tonight,” Edwards said after the game.

Though the Timberwolves struggled with referees earlier this week, they still won against the Thunder and continued a stellar season. With another dominant 121-87 win over the Mavericks Wednesday, the team improved to 34-14 and is currently first in the Western Conference. The Thunder is currently the only team within striking distance and just fell to Minnesota earlier this week.

Minnesota’s ascendance to championship contender in the 2023-24 season coincides with the best year of Edwards’ young career. In 45 games, the rising star is scoring 25.5 points per game. He and big man Karl-Anthony Towns have formed one of the best duos in the league, racking up regular season wins with a high-flying offense.

Edwards’ $40,000 fine will likely be an afterthought as he looks to carry on this promising Timberwolves season. Barring a late-season collapse, the team is almost certain to earn a high seed in the playoffs. It would be an unfamiliar role for a Minnesota team typically accustomed to also-ran status.

Young Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was cited for two counts of third-degree assault Wednesday after he angrily swung a chair on his way to the locker room following a season-ending Game 5 loss to the Denver Nuggets. He has been accused of harming two employees at the Ball Arena during the outburst.

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“It was reported to Denver Police that while Edwards was walking from the court to the locker room at the conclusion of the game, he swung a folding chair and struck two women who were working at the time,” Denver police said in a statement.

Edwards, who missed a shot at the end of the game that could have tied it, was stepping into the tunnel when the incident occurred. His lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, offered a different account of events in a statement on his behalf.

“With the game over, Anthony’s exit from the court was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and set down three steps later,” Steinberg said. “As video of the incident confirms, Anthony did not swing the chair at anyone and of course did not intend to hurt anyone. Despite these innocent facts, the Denver Police Department inexplicably chose to charge Anthony with two counts of misdemeanor assault. Anthony intends to vigorously defend against these baseless charges.”

As Steinberg noted, the Denver Police Department chose to cite Edwards for two charges, alleging that he struck and harmed two employees with a chair. One of these employees was confirmed to be a security guard. As the Denver police mentioned in its statement, both were women.

Edwards was given a June 9 court date, at which point he will have to return to Denver for a hearing. If convicted, he could face up to 18 months in jail and a $1,000 fine for committing a Class 1 misdemeanor under Colorado law.

“We are aware of the alleged incident regarding Anthony Edwards following Game 5 in Denver and are in the process of gathering more information,” the Timberwolves said in a statement. “We have no further comment at this moment,”

On, Thursday the NBA announced the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Team.

To no one’s surprise, Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball was unanimously selected to the First Team, as was Rookie of the Year runner-up Anthony Edwards. Tyrese Haliburton joined the two after receiving 98 of 99 First Team votes. Pistons forward Saddiq Bey and Houston’s Jae’Sean Tate were also voted to the First Team.

Ball, of the Charlotte Hornets, was recently announced as the Rookie Of The Year after averaging 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game in 51 games this season. The Hornets guard led all rookies in assists per game (6.1), steals (1.59) and rebounding (5.9). He was second in scoring (15.7).

Edwards led all rookies in scoring with 19.3 points per game. He also chipped in 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. However, Edwards ramped up his production following the All-Star break. The Minnesota Timberwolves guard averaged 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 36 games after the All-Star break. He was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month in each of the final three months of the season.

Haliburton averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. Haliburton is the eighth player in the history of the Sacramento Kings’ franchise to make the All-Rookie First Team

Bey averaged 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He was an impressive rookie for the Detroit Pistons. Bey was on pace to break the record for most threes made by a rookie, but the shortened season denied him the record. The Pistons’ rookie finished with 175 made triples.

Tate averaged 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the Houston Rockets this season. Tate was one of 10 players to average at least 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and 1.5 steals per game after the All-Star break.

The Second Team is comprised of Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, Cavaliers guard-forward Isaac Okoro, Pistons center Isaiah Stewart and Bulls forward Patrick Williams.