Souhan: Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards shows the worth of basketball’s key skill: jump shooting

Twice during these playoffs, Anthony Edwards has tried to make some kind of point by roughing up an opposing star.

Against the Lakers, he hit LeBron James like a cornerback jamming a receiver at the line of scrimmage as James tried to jog upcourt.

Against the Thunder, he shoved league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the same way, and threw a ball at the Oklahoma City star as he lay on his back under the basket.

Saturday night at Target Center, Edwards gave Chet Holmgren a gentle shove after one play, but otherwise made his points with … points.

As versatile and multitalented as Edwards is, there is no substitute, if you want to be an NBA superstar, for making shots. In the Wolves’ stunning 143-101 victory over the Thunder, Edwards defied his own spotty playoff history by shooting like a marksman from the start.

Entering Game 3, Edwards was 4-for-17 from the three-point line in this series, including a 1-for-9 performance in Game 2. Saturday, Edwards hit his fifth three-pointer late in the third period.

His final line was a masterwork of efficiency and domination. He made 12 of 17 shots from the field, including five of eight from beyond the arc. He had nine rebounds, six assists and two steals, in just 30 minutes.

“That’s what we need him to do,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “And when he does it, it takes us to another level. I thought that was really big in the first quarter — he got a couple of steals, he was all over the place. He knew we needed that type of play and he was really really good."

He was part of a Wolves defense that never let Gilgeous-Alexander’s drives, creativity and foul creation develop, or matter.

Whether this proves to be a consolation victory or the start of a dramatic turnaround, this was the kind of game the Wolves will need more frequently to realize their hopes and plans for Edwards to someday lead them to an NBA title.

“This has been Ant’s pattern,” Finch said. “He’s learning so fast, and he’s seeing so much.”

The Wolves’ depth and defense have frequently enabled them to win games the past two postseasons even when Edwards shoots erratically. When they face a team like last year’s Mavericks, or this year’s Thunder, the Wolves will need brilliance from Ant.

Saturday, they got just that.

Edwards’ performance also enabled the Wolves to enter Game 4 knowing that the Thunder have much to prove as a postseason team. Last year, they lost in the second round. This year, they defeated two teams that fired their coaches late in the season — Memphis and Denver. And if Aaron Gordon had been healthy in Game 7, the Nuggets may have had a chance to compete for the right to face the Wolves.

After Gilgeous-Alexander dominated the first two games, Edwards outplayed the newly anointed MVP in Game 3. SGA finished with 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting. As good as the Thunder have been all year, they aren’t a frightening matchup unless Gilgeous-Alexander is dictating plays — and officials’ whistles.

In these NBA playoffs, home-court advantage has meant nothing … until this series. The home teams are 3-0, with three convincing victories, and the old line about benches not traveling finally came true, with the Wolves’ reserves dominating and the Thunder reserves offering little resistance.

Get past the coaching jargon, and what most NBA playoff adjustments come down to can be summed up in four words:

Play harder. Shoot better.

“We wanted to put ultimate pressure on the ball and shoot it as much as I can,” Edwards said. “The adjustments are really not the biggest thing. It’s bringing the energy.”

Near the end of the third quarter, Edwards exited the game, grabbed a towel and walked through the tunnel. Had the Wolves lost this game, their season would be all but over. Instead, Edwards wasn’t required in the fourth quarter. He had shot, not shoved, his way to victory.

Julius Randle, who produced a big night after being benched in the fourth quarter of Game 2, called Edwards “selfless.”

“I just think he’s very in tune with his teammates and what’s going on,” Randle said. “As great of a player as he is, he’s the definitely of selfless.”

Randle said Edwards cheered him up on the flight home. By late Saturday night, the two faced a new and unexpected challenge: Restraining their optimism.