Minneapolis – The fragility of the dispute in the NBA qualifiers was illustrated in the silence of the crowd of the target center, in their collective eyes looking at the bottom of the Golden State Warriors bench, opposite a legend of the NBA wearing street clothes instead of a team uniform.
THE Fragility of Anthony Edwards' right ankleOr it was held between the Minnesota Timberwolves who felt like the Larry O'Brien trophy is open to anyone who can claim or misery – not only for a night but for his future.
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You believe that the NBA held its collective breathing, a match after the hamstrings' injury of Stephen Curry resulted in the possibility that it was a full-fledged star series, losing a young renowned star in these series of qualifying were cruel.
Not like that.
Edwards was supposed to eliminate another monument in equal terms, on fair ground, to prove its value for all the cheers that its game deserves. Or the former lion was supposed to roar again, moving away the new goalkeeper for one more spring.
It's already in danger.
The Timberwolves and their fans have already seen Edwards crashed before, but he has always risen – with the breath that between the moments like the price of unfathomable athletics combined with a fear of the consequences.
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At that time, the game and the series seemed to take the Warriors. The state of mind could easily have moved from the possibility of surviving, but seeing a path to win this thing and rest the curry for the following series – a star for a star, as sterile as it may seem.
“I'm not going to lie, I didn't move … I just looked up. I said to myself:” He will be well “,” said Timberwolves goalkeeper Mike Conley.
But even Conley trotting, with teammates and even Draymond Green who come to check.
Edwards was raised by two Timberwolves staff members, barely gaining weight on this plant foot which inadvertently landed by the center of Warriors Trayce Jackson-Davis. He came out of the same tunnel that Curry made two nights before, while Curry was desperately trying to make him run, hoping that he would be back.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were afraid when Anthony Edwards injured Thursday evening, but he returned to the match. (Images of Jesse Johnson-Imagn)
(Imagn Images via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
The 37 -year -old man could not, and must now wait about a week with the hope that his team can stay alive. The 23 -year -old came out of the locker room at halftime and on the prosecution 26 minutes in real time – it probably looked like the faithful who know that their hopes are at the back of Edwards.
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“The one who really worried me, in fact,” said Timberwolves coach Chris Finch. “There are a lot of ways to be an elite athlete that bears fruit, being able to shake these things is one of them. The one I planned not to see the rest of the game.”
To everyone's surprise, it was not a broken foot or a spraining with old highs. Edwards emerged to help the Timberwolves files his series with a victory of 117-93Before going to San Francisco for two games.
Edwards scored 20 with nine rebounds and five assists in 30 minutes and a summit of the +20 team. This production did not seem possible in the outside world, while he was doing exercises with the physiotherapist of the David Hines wolves because the Timberwolves do not govern him as or even “doubtful”.
“Whenever I turn my ankle, we make ankle modes,” said Edwards. “Once we arrived at the third movement in the ankle, I say to myself:” I start to feel good, you pack it, I will see how I feel myself “. He does a great job to make sure that I am good before I go out.”
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Perhaps Edwards likes the film “Matilda” because he believes in the magic of youth, the imagination of the moment and the belief in the impossible. He hooked a little in the locker room but was alike in these 24 minutes after which equaled the series and restored a certain faith in these nervous corners.
Timberwolves' teammate Josh Minott yelled next to Edwards while journalists gathered around his locker: “My man has an immortal ankle.”
Even if we know that he does not do it, Edwards thinks he does it and with that, the Timberwolves are not only in this series but have a blow as good as anyone, if they can keep it together.
But these breathtaking moments are different with everyone. Edwards has a long track in front of him, let's hope it a decade or more to face, to take, to be the hunter and to hunt in this defending chase.
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For Conley, he has months more than Curry, 38 years old before the start of next season. These moments are ephemeral, and as a wise veteran, he has the task of impressing the urgency in his young teammates, tomorrow is not always promised.
With Boston vulnerable, Oklahoma City did not look like a juggernaut and Cleveland on the ropes, these NBA qualifying series seem to be wide open.
“The message I collected by looking at the league during last week: this thing is that anyone is to make you know,” said Conley in Yahoo Sports. “Why not us? Why not? Why can't we do it? “
“My emergency is at a record level. These guys are urgent. Make them understand that you don't get this chance too often. I am on my last two races. I want them to feel that. ”
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You can say that Conley's best chance for a title was thwarted by his own injury with the Memphis grizzly greeks. Already wearing a facial mask in the 2015 qualifiers for a collision with the portland goalkeeper CJ McCollum, Conley returned after facial surgery to play against young warriors Golden State 2.
He brought a blow to the face of Draymond Green during the Grizzlies' victory in match 2 which equaled the series, aggravating the injury. Conley was vulnerable before that, so that only made things get worse. These warriors were not yet names of households and the Grizzlies of Conley, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Tony Allen were tested in battle.
But the advance of the 2-1 Grizzlies dissipated in three consecutive defeats, and the Warriors won the first of their four titles in June. Conley's health, as well as Allen's knee injury, helped loss.
“I know 10 years ago, I was there, and I think we had a blow,” said Conley. “And then Boom, injuries, Tony Allen injuries, you know, all that, and it's like, Oh, it could have been my chance.”
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Conley was 28 years old, but Gasol, Randolph and Allen were each over 30 years old. And we did not all know that these warriors went up to heights that we had not seen since the Bulls and Lakers teams of the last 30 years.
“When I heard about Steph, I hate it because I know how fragile this game is with me. I hate wounds for anyone,” said Conley to Yahoo Sports. “He is the same age as me, so I know what he feels. Because he would be there tomorrow if he could. ”
“I want to compete with the best and beat the best at any time.”
But he cannot and this provides an opening for Conley, for Edwards, for the Timberwolves. What the NBA, its fans and the collective public lose in a potential confrontation, the Timberwolves gain in opportunity – even if Curry re -emerges later in the series.
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“Dude, it's almost like when you wake up, when you thank the Lord for another day, you thank the Lord for the opportunities, that you are grateful for this thing,” said Conley. “Really super grateful every time I have the opportunity.”
The reason why Conley is here, the reason why Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert are here, is because of Edwards. Nothing moves without him and the Timberwolves cannot pass without him.
But with him, everything is possible – even Matilda Magic.
“It is built so different,” said Conley. “If I felt that it was a serious thing, I would certainly feel a man oh guy, don't leave what I think it's.
But they have another day, and maybe much more this spring.
