Anthony Edwards Reveals Where Timberwolves Went Wrong in Playoffs
The Minnesota Timberwolves exited the playoffs in the Western Conference Finals for the first time in three years, after the surging San Antonio Spurs eliminated them 4-2.
It also wasn’t pretty. San Antonio jumped out to a dominant lead, and by the second half it was a blowout. Ultimately, the Spurs won Game 6 139-109, advancing to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the WCF.
Stephon Castle led the Spurs with a 32-point, 11-rebound performance, while De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists. Victor Wembanyama finished with 19 points, six boards, and three blocks.
On the opposing side, it was Anthony Edwards leading the Timberwolves with 24 points, while none of the other starters did much of anything. Terrance Shannon Jr. and Naz Reid had big nights off the bench, scoring 21 and 18 points, respectively.
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At the postgame press conference, reporters asked Edwards what he felt went wrong for the Timberwolves this postseason, and Ant-Man bluntly answered that it had to do with the team “listening” better.
“We just gotta listen to the coaches. We got a hard time of processing stuff and going out there and doing it. We try to do stuff on our own. I think that’s our problem,” he explained, seeming to accept blame on behalf of the players.
“I feel like you’re supposed to build championship habits in the regular season,” Edwards also said.
Minnesota went 49-33, finishing sixth in the Western Conference, which took away home-court advantage in their playoff series. They showed grit in winning the opener at San Antonio, and again by defeating them, with Wembanyama ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul in the first half.
In addition, Edwards mentioned that the lack of Donte DiVencenzo on the court seriously impacted his team and their ability to spread the floor. DiVencenzo suffered a brutal season-ending torn right Achilles tendon in Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets in the first round.
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The Timberwolves are playoff veterans, but they may now be on the decline against the top teams.
Something overlooked is that the Spurs have risen to become one of the elite powers in the Western Conference, thanks to the emergence of their young stars, Castle and Wembanyama. Castle is in his second year and may be among the more underrated players in the league, while Wemby was among the top MVP contenders this past season.
And those are just two of the Spurs’ young stars, as they also feature a talented roster that includes another recent draft pick, Dylan Harper, coming off the bench. On most teams, Harper would be a starter, but San Antonio drafted another gem.
While the Timberwolves were a top-tier team in their previous two seasons, they still couldn’t get past the Western Conference Finals, which may also indicate it’s time to take a hard look at their roster and consider bringing in another major star to help Ant-Man out.
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This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 11:04 AM.