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\n\t\t\tTimberwolves star Anthony Edwards made an unusual gesture during Friday\u2019s Game 6, congratulating the Spurs during a timeout with Minnesota down 33 points at home with 8:01 remaining (YouTube link). Edwards said it was an acknowledgement that San Antonio was the better team, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN.
\nAs Medcalf writes, the Timberwolves have now lost three consecutive playoff elimination games by an average of 27 points each. They lost at home to Dallas in Game 5 of the 2024 Western Conference finals, at Oklahoma City in Game 5 of the 2025 Western finals, and at home to San Antonio on Friday in the conference semifinals.
\nWhen asked if there were any common themes during those three losses, Edwards replied, \u201cGood question. No comment.\u201d
\nAccording to Medcalf, Edwards said he was content with the current roster, but he also said the Wolves didn\u2019t prepare like a championship contender.
\n\u201cI feel like you\u2019re supposed to build championship habits or playoff habits in a regular season,\u201d Edwards said. \u201cNo, we didn\u2019t build the habits during the regular season.\u201d
\nHere\u2019s more on the Wolves:<\/p>\n
Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic views Edwards\u2019 gesture as a sign that the 24-year-old guard recognizes the Timberwolves have been passed in the West\u2019s hierarchy and believes it was a message to the front office to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. As Thompson observes, while Edwards publicly said the roster wasn\u2019t an issue, he also suggested his teammates didn\u2019t take advantage of the double teams he faced. \u201cIt was no struggle,\u201d Edwards said of handling the defense\u2019s extra attention. \u201cJust trusting in my teammates, trusting in the next action we\u2019re going to make something happen. And I feel like we did, man. We just couldn\u2019t make enough shots to win the game. I think that\u2019s just what it came down to.\u201d That\u2019s not exactly a bold statement, considering Julius Randle (three points on 1-of-8 shooting), Rudy Gobert (zero points on 0-of-4 shooting) and Jaden McDaniels (13 points on 4-of-13 shooting, five fouls in 23 minutes) combined to score 16 points on 5-of-25 shooting in Game 6.
\nAccording to Medcalf, Edwards said the following about when asked how the Wolves can catch up to the Thunder and Spurs, with other teams lurking in the West: \u201cI don\u2019t know, man. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s a question for me.\u201c
\nRandle, who was a game-worst minus-34 in 23 minutes, looks \u201cmiscast\u201d as a No. 2 option when playing against title contenders, according to Thompson, who points out that Game 6 was so lopsided because San Antonio\u2019s secondary stars \u2014 including Stephon Castle, who had a game-high 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists \u2014 dominated. Randle had no answers for trying to score on Victor Wembanyama throughout the series, Thompson writes.
\nBackup guard Bones Hyland hopes to re-sign with Minnesota as an unrestricted free agent, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. \u201cIt feels like where I belong so I definitely want to come back,\u201d Hyland said.<\/p>\n