Ant defends Game 4 approach after quiet night

MINNEAPOLIS -- With the Minnesota Timberwolves' play connected the brink aft 1 of the quietest violative nights of the postseason for Anthony Edwards, their 23-year-old prima defended his attack successful Monday's 128-126 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder successful Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

"I don't look astatine it similar I struggled, oregon [Julius Randle] struggled," Edwards said. "They just, they had a bully crippled plan, making america get disconnected the ball. Especially for me, man. They were ace successful the gaps, I made the close play each night."

Edwards had his second-lowest scoring full of the postseason with 16 points and tied his fewest changeable attempts, finishing 5-for-13 from the tract (1-for-7 connected 3-pointers).

"I don't truly look astatine it similar I struggled," Edwards continued. "I didn't get capable shots to accidental I struggled, truthful that mightiness beryllium however you guys look astatine it. But, yeah, I didn't conflict astatine all. I conscionable made the close play."

After scoring 30 oregon amended the past 2 games of the league finals, it's surely just to accidental Edwards was contained -- particularly successful the archetypal half, erstwhile helium scored conscionable 4 points connected 1-for-2 shooting.

After averaging 22.4 tract extremity attempts successful the archetypal circular and 19.8 successful the 2nd round, Edwards has attempted 17.3 shots per crippled against the Thunder truthful far.

"It's an impulse that I privation to get the shot successful the rim, enactment it up there," Edwards said. "But you don't privation to instrumentality atrocious shots and get your squad retired of rhythm. So I was conscionable playing the crippled the close way, man."

Wolves manager Chris Finch said Edwards was amended arsenic the crippled went on.

"I thought 2nd fractional helium was much aggressive," Finch said. "He got downhill. We got him disconnected the shot a small spot more. When helium got to the paint, I thought helium recovered immoderate people, made the close plays. First half, helium lagged down a small spot excessively much. He needed to get retired successful beforehand truthful we could agelong the level and surface for him a bit. But 2nd fractional was overmuch better."

Randle, who scored a playoff career-low 5 points connected 1-for-7 shooting, ne'er got it going.

After helium and Edwards besides were liable for 5 turnovers apiece, arsenic Minnesota committed 23 miscues starring to 22 points for the Thunder, Randle pointed the digit astatine himself.

"I deliberation it was conscionable a batch maine conscionable spectating," Randle said. "I got to fig retired a mode to get myself progressive successful actions. I deliberation I didn't instrumentality my archetypal changeable successful the 2nd fractional until determination were 20 seconds near successful the 3rd quarter. I got to fig retired a mode to get myself successful presumption to beryllium much aggressive, alternatively than conscionable standing, spectating oregon trying to clang the glass."

After a superb postseason done the archetypal 2 rounds arsenic the sixth-seeded Wolves upset the Los Angeles Lakers successful 5 games and precocious past the Golden State Warriors successful 5 games, Randle has been inconsistent against Oklahoma City.

He scored 28 points successful Game 1, 6 points successful Game 2 and 24 points successful Game 3 earlier Monday's letdown.

Minnesota inactive had a accidental acknowledgment to large scoring nights from Nickeil Alexander-Walker (23 points connected 9-for-15 shooting), Jaden McDaniels (22 points connected 9-for-15 shooting) and Donte DiVincenzo (21 points connected 7-for-11 shooting), but the turnovers and Oklahoma City's 19 violative rebounds proved costly.

"The violative rebounds and turnovers, if you instrumentality distant the junk points, it's a full antithetic game," DiVincenzo said.

Minnesota, trailing 3-1, volition request to triumph Wednesday's Game 5 astatine Paycom Center (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), successful bid to widen the bid oregon autumn 3 wins abbreviated of the archetypal NBA Finals berth successful franchise past for the 2nd consecutive year.

Edwards was asked if helium felt a "burden" to summation his scoring with the Wolves' play connected the line.

"No," Edwards said. "I don't enactment nary load connected myself. I conscionable effort to win. The lone load I enactment connected myself is to effort to win. We gave ourselves a accidental tonight. We conscionable didn't travel retired from the commencement with the aforesaid aggression that we did successful Game 3."

Indeed, down 2-0 successful the series, Minnesota responded with a 143-101 rout successful Game 3 to debar the near-death knell of trailing 3-0.

Now the Wolves volition request to muster a triumph for their play to debar definite decease with different nonaccomplishment successful Game 5, which would propel Oklahoma City to the Finals.

"Just not conceding to the situation. Finding a way. Just got to privation it more," Alexander-Walker said. "The bully happening astir it is successful this concern each clip we've had a come-to-terms speech wrong each different we've ever responded well. ... We person a resilient radical and I spot successful that group."