MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The ball left Anthony Edwards' right hand and bounced off the back rim at the buzzer, sending him sprinting off the court in anger over his miss of a tying 3-point try for Minnesota that preserved a series-clinching Game 5 victory for eventual NBA champion Denver.
Edwards and the Timberwolves have worked tirelessly since that moment to become more than a one-and-done team, and their measuring stick has arrived.
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The ball left Anthony Edwards' right hand and bounced off the back rim at the buzzer, sending him sprinting off the court in anger over his miss of a tying 3-point try for Minnesota that preserved a series-clinching Game 5 victory for eventual NBA champion Denver.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) goes up for a shot as Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal, left, and center Jusuf Nurkic, right, defend during the second half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) has his shot blocked by Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, center, and Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, right, during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Phoenix. The Timberwolves won 122-116, taking the series 4-0. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) gets past the Phoenix Suns defense for a dunk during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Phoenix. The Timberwolves won 122-116, taking the series 4-0. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates a foul against the Phoenix Suns during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Phoenix. The Timberwolves won 122-116, taking the series 4-0. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
They'll return to the same arena where their season ended a year ago, in the second round this time, and face a Nuggets team raring to defend its title. Game 1 is Saturday.
If the Timberwolves knock down the Nuggets, it will likely be a product of Edwards' brilliance. His 31-point second half last week that propelled them to a sweep-completing victory at Phoenix was his latest masterpiece, not simply as a scorer, but as a passer, a defender and a leader.
“The second half, it’s time to win,” Edwards said after posting his second career 40-point game in the playoffs among the four in franchise history. “I've got to shoot my shots and keep confidence in myself.”
The elevation of Edwards' stature has been occurring as quickly as any other player in the NBA, as evidenced in most commercial breaks during the playoffs when the 22-year-old appears in back-to-back ads for Bose and Sprite.
The league announced Tuesday that Edwards had generated more than 100 million video views across its social and digital platforms, behind only LeBron James (130 million), and gained the most Instagram followers by any player since the postseason began. Edwards will also be one of the leaders for Team USA at the Paris Olympics this summer.
But he's the last player the Timberwolves would worry about being waylaid by such surging fame.
“You don’t like to call him ‘old soul,’” assistant coach Micah Nori said, “but he’s been through a lot in his life. He’s been around a lot of situations. He’s grown up quickly.”
Few star players can entrench themselves in the desirable middle between destructive arrogance and detrimental deference the way Edwards has, delivering in clutch situations with supreme belief in his ability yet constantly pivoting to praise a teammates or a coach when his success is publicly broached.
“Everybody in here has been a part of his growth and his development,” point guard Mike Conley said. “When we’re in film sessions, we’re constantly in each other’s ear. If he’s about to explode about Coach saying something bad to him, I’ll tap him on the shoulder and be like, ‘No, chill. You need to hear this. This is real. He’s being honest with this one, and you need to work on it.’ And he’ll be like, ‘Bet.’ Just kind of really receptive to stuff.”
That has taken some time.
Edwards was fined $40,000 by the league before the 2022-23 season began for disparaging and homophobic comments he made in a social media post.
During his frustrated hustle off the court after the loss in Denver a year ago, he chucked a chair that was in his way — prompting later-dismissed misdemeanor assault charges by two bystanders who claimed injury and, ultimately, a $50,000 fine from the NBA.
Inside team headquarters, the first overall pick in the 2020 draft was slow to mesh with coach Chris Finch after he was hired midway through Edwards' rookie season. The two-time All-Star said recently their relationship was initially “up and down” because of how often Finch was telling him what not to do with the ball in his hand.
“When you tell me something works and I’ll try it and it works, I can’t fight you,” Edwards said. “So pretty much, he just told me, like, ‘These are the spots. This is what we need you to do in order for us to win at a high level.’ Ever since then, probably the end of my second year, going into those playoffs, we gained each other’s trust. We took off ever since then.”
Now, Edwards is far more inclined to make the "right play,” as Nori put it, in the face of frequent double-teams.
“He just has a focused mentality on the game of basketball,” teammate Karl-Anthony Towns said. "All of us, we’re going to keep him accountable and focused. But for him personally, he’s already a step ahead."
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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates after a basket made by guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker during the second half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) goes up for a shot as Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal, left, and center Jusuf Nurkic, right, defend during the second half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) has his shot blocked by Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, center, and Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, right, during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Phoenix. The Timberwolves won 122-116, taking the series 4-0. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) gets past the Phoenix Suns defense for a dunk during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Phoenix. The Timberwolves won 122-116, taking the series 4-0. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates a foul against the Phoenix Suns during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Phoenix. The Timberwolves won 122-116, taking the series 4-0. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
HOUSTON (AP) — Fast-moving thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas for the second time this month, killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings, downing trees and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area.
Officials urged residents to keep off roads following Thursday's storms, as many were impassable and traffic lights were out. The storm system moved through swiftly, but flood watches and warnings remained Friday for Houston and areas to the east.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said four people died during the severe weather. At least two of the deaths were caused by falling trees and another happened when a crane blew over in strong winds, officials said.
Houston’s streets were flooded and trees and power lines were down across the region. Whitmire said wind speeds reached 100 mph (160 kph) “with some twisters.” Whitmire said the powerful gusts were reminiscent of 2008’s Hurricane Ike, which pounded the city.
“Stay at home tonight. Do not go to work tomorrow, unless you’re an essential worker. Stay home, take care of your children,” Whitmire said in a Thursday evening briefing. “Our first responders will be working around the clock.”
Gulf Coast states could experience scattered, severe thunderstorms with tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. Heavy to excessive rainfall is possible for eastern Louisiana into central Alabama on Friday, the National Weather Service said.
In Houston, hundreds of windows were shattered at downtown hotels and office buildings, with glass littering the streets below, and the state was sending Department of Public Safety officers to secure the area.
“Downtown is a mess,” Whitmire said, adding that there was a backlog of 911 calls first responders were working through.
The ferocious storms also moved into neighboring Louisiana and left more than 215,000 customers without power. More than 100,000 Entergy Louisiana customers in the New Orleans area lost power, NOLA.com reported.
The Storm Prediction Center’s website showed a report of a tornado in Convent, Louisiana, about 55 miles (89 kilometers) from New Orleans, with multiple reports of trees and power poles down.
There were wind gusts of 84 mph (135 kph) at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and 82 mph (132 kph) at New Orleans Lakefront Airport, according to Tim Erickson, a meteorologist at the weather service’s office for New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
The office for New Orleans and Baton Rouge issued a flash flood warning through Saturday.
At Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, the retractable roof was closed due to the storm. But the wind was so powerful it still blew rain into the stadium. Puddles formed on the outfield warning track, but the game against the Oakland Athletics still was played.
School districts across the Houston area canceled classes Friday for more than 400,000 students.
Flights were briefly grounded at Houston's two major airports. Sustained winds topping 60 mph (96 kph) were recorded at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
About 900,000 customers were without electricity in and around Harris County, which contains Houston, according to poweroutage.us. The county is home to more than 4.7 million people.
CenterPoint Energy warned customers to “be prepared for extended weather-related power outages.”
The problems extended to the city's suburbs, with emergency officials in neighboring Montgomery County describing the damage to transmission lines as “catastrophic” and warning that power could be impacted for several days.
Heavy storms slammed the Houston area during the first week of May, leading to numerous high-water rescues, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes.
The story has been updated to correct that school districts across the Houston area canceled classes Friday, not just the Houston Independent School District.
Baumann reported from Bellingham, Washington, and Weber from Los Angeles.
Houston Police officers move a fallen tree out of the street at Prairie and Travis Street downtown after a strong thunderstorm moved through Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Shattered glass covers the street outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown after a severe thunderstorm passed through Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A worker walks down a street covered in glass caused by damage from a severe thunderstorm that passed through Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A building has blownout windows caused from damage after a severe thunderstorm passed through downtown is shown Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Downtown streets are covered in broken glass in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A damaged building is shown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that passed through downtown, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
People stop to take pictures of damage after a severe thunderstorm passed through downtown, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Members of the Relief Gang help remove fallen tree limbs from crushed cars in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that passed through downtown, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Shattered glass covers the street outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown after a severe thunderstorm passed through, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Debris fills the feeder road near Interstate 10 and Interstate 45 near downtown Houston after severe storms passed through the area Thursday, May 16, 2024 (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Workers clean up damage inside a downtown restaurant after a severe thunderstorm passed through downtown Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Shattered glass covers the street outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown after a severe thunderstorm passed through Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A worker sweeps up shards of broken glass on McKinney near Travis after heavy wind and rain ripped through the region Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Workers pause to look a building with blownout glass windows caused by damage from a severe thunderstorm that passed through downtown Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Rain blows in from the windows as a severe thunderstorm hit before a baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Rapper Trae tha Truth, in yellow, cuts fallen tree limbs on top of a car in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that passed through downtown, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A damaged building is shown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that passed through downtown, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Fans make their way into Minute Maid Park as a severe thunderstorm hit before a baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Houston Astros, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Workers clean up broken glass inside a damaged downtown restaurant after a severe thunderstorm, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A car crushed by falling bricks from a fallen building wall sits in a downtown parking lot after a severe thunderstorm passed through, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A boy walks past a large tree that fell on a home after heavy wind and rain ripped through the region Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Transmission power lines are down near the Grand Parkway and West Road after a storm Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Transmission power lines are down near the Grand Parkway and West Road after a storm Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP)
