Anthony Edwards set a career-high with 49 points on Thursday night but while that was enough to beat the San Antonio Spurs, it wasn’t enough to avoid the play-in tournament.
The Timberwolves entered the night needing a win over the Spurs and a loss by the Denver Nuggets to remain in the hunt for the sixth seed and an automatic playoff berth in the Western Conference. But with Denver’s victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, it clinched a playoff spot and forced the Timberwolves to play in the four-team tournament to decide the seventh and eighth seeds.
But before the Wolves knew their fate, they let Edwards steal the show. Edwards started the night strong, scoring 15 points in the first quarter. While he made a late charge with 17 points in the fourth, he couldn’t record his first career 50-point game but added eight assists and six rebounds.
“I was trying my best to get 50…came out with the win, that’s all that matters.” pic.twitter.com/5AF79VFp29
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 8, 2022
With his fifth career 40-point game, Edwards is second in NBA history with such games before the age of 21. It sparked an easy for the Timberwolves who will wrap up the regular season on Sunday against the Chicago Bulls.
But instead of preparing for Zach LaVine, the Timberwolves will be focused on the play-in tournament. Minnesota will open the tournament by hosting the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers on Apr. 12 with the winner getting the seventh seed in the West.
If the Timberwolves lose, they’ll play the winner of the ninth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans and tenth-seeded Spurs on Apr. 15.
