'Not being defined by scoring': Anthony Edwards must learn from Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum

A loss in Boston could serve as a springboard for Edwards and Minnesota.

Author:
Joe Nelson
Publish date:
Jan 11, 2024 11:47 AM EST

Silly mistakes. Breakdowns. Bad offense.

"We should've won this game," said Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch. "Our offense broke down at the end and so did our defense, too. Lots of mental errors on both ends."

At first blush, the Timberwolves had no business beating the Celtics without Mike Conley (rest) and Rudy Gobert (sore hip) on the second night of a back to back in a building where the Celtics are undefeated (18-0) and on a day where their flight didn't land until six or seven hours before tipoff.

But Minnesota gave the Celtics all they could handle, losing a late lead and falling 127-120 in overtime. Anthony Edwards had 29 points and showcased his star power on many occasions, but when it mattered most it was Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown rising to the top.

If there was a lesson to be learned for Edwards, it was spoken eloquently by both head coaches after the game. Finch said Edwards needs to learn not to be "wired to score" with the game in the clutches, while Mazzulla applauded Brown and Tatum for "not being defined by scoring."

"Not being defined by scoring," Mazzulla said of Brown, who scored 35 points. "It goes back to greatness looks different in different days. I thought his defense and those two in-traffic rebounds that he got and the free throws that he made were the reason. You can still have a tremendous game even if you're not scoring or if the ball's not going in. And it's not just him, it's everybody. It's all of us being defined by winning plays, great plays, and I thought tonight his defense was elite, his in-traffic rebounds were elite and I thought he did a great job at the free-throw line."

Mazzulla echoed that sentiment about Tatum, who finished with 45 points.

"Again, not being defined by greatness," Mazzulla said. "It's just not being defined by one thing and it's dominating the game by understanding how to, what pitch do I need to use this quarter, this half, this game. Our guys are starting to recognize that and I thought J.T. did a great job of that tonight."

Finch was critical of Edwards' penchant for trying to single-handedly take over on offense down the stretch, and the result was the 22-year-old shooting 1 of 7 with three turnovers in the fourth quarter and overtime.

"Just too much iso, too much iso against a really good defense," Finch said.

"This is all part of the growth curve, all part of learning. I think you can't be wired to try and score in these moments, you gotta be wired to make the right play," Finch continued about Edwards. "You know they're gonna load up against you. You can't bleed the clock unnecessarily because when they do come to trap you, we need time at the end of it to move it. These are all things that we're harping on. The turnovers. We've got to clean up the passing. Absolutely have to clean up the passing."

In the end, the Timberwolves and Celtics have split two matchups this season and the only chance to settle the season series is if both conference leaders happen to meet in the NBA Finals.