Sleeping giant caught red-handed! Anthony Edwards had his eyes lit up throughout tonight’s taxing challenge against the Cavs. But in overtime, it all went in vain after a blunder by Rudy Gobert. Edwards turned toward Gobert and demanded an explanation after the veteran center appeared to have frozen at the wrong time.
And the play cost them the game, as the Cavs walked away with a narrow win.
The incident unfolded with around 30 seconds remaining in overtime, as Minnesota trailed by one point (122-123). Following a timeout, the Timberwolves moved the ball around before Ayo Dosunmu attacked the paint. He had three Cavaliers defenders crashing him in the paint.
His attempt hit the backboard, leaving Gobert near the basket with a chance to pursue the offensive rebound. Notably, he had no one to box him out.
As the tallest man on the floor, he just had to grab the ball and dish to the open man.
Gobert did not make an apparent effort to secure the loose ball, allowing Cleveland to recover possession. Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball then scrambled to regain it. But the officials called him for a reach-in foul. Visibly upset with the decision, Edwards argued with the referee before turning toward Gobert and shouting.
Ant-Man can be seen asking Gobert: “Why did you stop playing?”
The exchange captured the frustration of a game Minnesota had fought hard to win. Anthony Edwards single-handedly put up 47 points. The Cavs ultimately prevailed 127-125 in overtime, handing the Timberwolves their first loss after three straight victories to open the season.
Gobert’s offensive struggles made the sequence stand out even more. He really did have a very bad night.
The 4x DPOY finished with five points and 20 rebounds, but missed all nine of his field-goal attempts. 0-9 from the field. His rebounding numbers were impressive, yet the missed opportunity late in overtime became the defining image of his night.
There was also an uncomfortable contrast with Gobert’s confidence before the matchup. Discussing his offensive role, the night before he had said, “My role is to be who I am… and then offensively just dominate, dominate, dominate in my own way.”
Against the Cavs, that dominance never materialized as a scorer. His impact on the glass remained significant. But the Wolves needed more from the possession that mattered most.
The loss was not solely Gobert’s responsibility.
The Wolves had opportunities to close out the game before overtime. Still, the late sequence exposed how quickly frustration can surface when teammates see a crucial possession unfold differently.
For Anthony Edwards, the issue appeared to be the lack of urgency at a moment when Minnesota desperately needed another chance to score.
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The post “Why Did You Stop?”: Anthony Edwards Blasts Rudy Gobert After Costly Play Dooms Timberwolves Against Cavs appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.