Anthony Edwards has taken the blame for the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 117-90 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 on Friday.
It was a disappointing result for the Timberwolves, who had previously taken a commanding 2-0 lead over the reigning champions with two straight road wins to start the series.
“It’s on me,” Edwards said. “I’ll take the blame for this loss. I came out with no energy at all. I can’t afford to do that for my team. I let my team down, the fans down.”
Edwards was quiet by his standards in Game 3, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds and five assists. And while his statline looked passable on paper, he also finished the game with a plus/minus of -32.
Edwards and the Timberwolves were just no match for the Nuggets on this particular night.
Nikola Jokic was exceptional with 24 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, while Jamal Murray bounced back from a rough Game 2 with 24 points, four rebounds and five assists.
Denver was certainly not lacking motivation heading into the game, with coach Mike Malone showing his team a mashup of national TV analysts who declaring the series to be over.
“You’re always testing and finding out about human nature and what guys are made of,” said Nuggets coach Mike Malone, who . “If that doesn’t resonate with you as a competitor, I don’t know what will.”
Game 4 will tip off in Minneapolis on Sunday.
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