Anthony Edwards Stuns NBA With Monster 50-Point Game—Highlights & Reactions From Timberwolves' Victory

Anthony Edwards’ roller-coaster postseason took another dip Monday night as the Minnesota Timberwolves let a pivotal Game 4 slip away at Target Center. Minnesota fell 128-126, allowing Oklahoma City to seize a 3-1 stranglehold on the Western Conference Finals. Sluggish follow-up after historic Game 3 Just 48 hours earlier, Edwards powered a 42-point blowout that rekindled talk of a Finals run. In Game 4, however, the 22-year-old shot only 5-for-13, finished with 16 points, four rebounds, six assists and five turnovers in 41 minutes—his lowest scoring output of the 2025 postseason. Oklahoma City blanketed him with length on the perimeter, sending Lu Dort and Cason Wallace over every screen and forcing the ball from his hands. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 40-point eruption on the other end tilted the series and underscored the pressure now facing Minnesota’s franchise cornerstone. The Timberwolves must win three straight—two on the road—to keep their title hopes alive. What went wrong offensively • Early passive play: Edwards attempted just one field goal in the first quarter and never found rhythm attacking downhill. • Settling from deep: He went 1-for-7 beyond the arc, often launching late-clock threes rather than probing OKC’s interior. • Turnover trouble: Five giveaways fueled Thunder transition points and muted Minnesota’s half-court efficiency. Social media reaction Analysts and fans quickly voiced frustration. NBA writer Kevin O’Connor called the outing “super disappointing,” while beat reporters noted that Edwards was the Timberwolves’ fifth-leading scorer despite logging the most minutes. The consensus: Minnesota can’t survive when its All-NBA guard is merely average. Edwards’ postseason snapshot • 2025 playoff averages: 29.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.5 APG, 46 FG% • Game-by-game vs. OKC: 38, 32, 30, 16 points • Career playoff record when he scores 30+: 9-2 Keys for a Game 5 rebound 1. Get downhill early—expect more high pick-and-rolls with Karl-Anthony Towns to attack mismatches before OKC’s length sets. 2. Trust the mid-range—Edwards has shot 53 % on pull-ups inside the arc this series but attempted only three in Game 4. 3. Defend without fouling—easy buckets for Gilgeous-Alexander let the Thunder control tempo and shrink Minnesota’s margin for error. The bigger picture Even with Monday’s misfire, Edwards’ meteoric rise remains one of the NBA’s top storylines. He earned first-team All-NBA honors this spring, became the youngest player to post three 40-point playoff games in a single run, and drew comparisons to Dwyane Wade and Michael Jordan from legends and pundits alike. Whether he adds “comeback architect” to the résumé depends on the response Wednesday night in Oklahoma City. If Minnesota forces a Game 6 back at Target Center, Edwards’ trademark swagger could shift the narrative yet again. But if the Thunder close the door, Monday’s quiet 16-point night may linger as the defining speed bump in an otherwise breakout postseason.