The Minnesota Timberwolves got terrible news early on Thursday when they learned that Karl-Anthony Towns will be out indefinitely due to a torn meniscus, but they had no time to recover as they had to prepare for a game against the Indiana Pacers mere hours later. Fortunately, Towns isn’t Minnesota’s only star player.
On Thursday, Anthony Edwards had a statement game as he poured in 44 points to keep Minnesota in control throughout the night. The Pacers wouldn’t go away quietly, though, as they managed to cut a 17-point lead down to just two when Edwards squared up for a free-throw with seven seconds left. He missed, and the Pacers raced down the court to try to get a game-tying shot up. They very nearly did so, as Aaron Nesmith managed a layup attempt with 1.1 seconds to go, but Edwards erased it to secure the win.
The block itself was sensational, but take a closer look at Edwards’ head as he goes up to make it. He very clearly bangs it against the rim, taking the fall for his team to lock up the victory.
Edwards joked after the game that he’s “never jumped that high” in his life, though given his remarkable athleticism, that almost certainly isn’t true. Regardless, it was one of the best games Edwards has played all season, and it came at an absolutely critical moment. The Timberwolves will have to fight for the top seed in the Western Conference down the stretch without one of their offensive superstars. But if their other one can keep playing like this, Minnesota might just be able to survive his absence.