Anthony Edwards on Timberwolves’ improvement in 4th quarters: ‘I was on the bench back then’

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards points to the reason why the team has performed better in the fourth quarter throughout the season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are well out of a playoff spot, but they are embracing the role of spoiler. That was evident on Saturday, when the Timberwolves defeated the first-place Utah Jazz 101-96. Plenty of credit comes from their effort in the fourth quarter, where the Timberwolves limited the Jazz to 22 points (7-of-16 from the field).

Following the win, Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards was asked about how the team has improved in the fourth quarter of the season. Edwards pointed to one reason as to why that is the case — he was on the bench at the start of the season.

Anthony Edwards credits getting off bench for Timberwolves’ fourth quarter improvements

Edwards is honest and to the point, you have to give him that.

The Jazz dominated the first quarter, as they dropped 40 points on the Timberwolves. For the remainder of the game, Utah could only muster 56 points. In the fourth, the Jazz turned the ball over a total of six times, including four in the first four-plus minutes of the quarter. Of those six turnovers, three of them came on steals from Edwards.

The first-overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft has been unreal on the court, as he can score and defend at a high level. In 36 minutes of playing time on Saturday, Edwards scored 23 points (9-for-19 from field, 4-for-10 from three point line), grabbed nine rebounds, dished out four assists and recorded five steals.

This season, Edwards is averaging 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 40.1-percent from the field and 32.4-percent from the three-point line through 61 games (44 starts).

For those wondering why the Timberwolves have improved in the fourth quarter, Edwards is subtly pointing to himself not being on the bench as the reason why that has become a reality.