MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves got the superstar bump they needed from Anthony Edwards to win Game 2 at Denver and square up their intensifying first-round playoff series with the Nuggets.
Edwards contributed 30 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a loud voice of encouragement for his teammates. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch had already been reassured by Edwards' influence as the four-time All-Star left the court following a lackluster performance in Game 1.
Click to Gallery
New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) reacts after fouling Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots over Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) and Bruce Brown (11) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) shakes hands with owner Alex Rodriguez after defending the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
“He was calm and gave confidence to the guys,” Finch said, reflecting on the series opener after practice on Wednesday. “When we were down early and big, he was really into them with the right messages, to stay calm but to do the things that were asked to be done — put a little bit more work in, be a little smarter with the fouling, all that kind of stuff. So I thought that was really key.”
Edwards was instrumental in urging Rudy Gobert on to a dominant defensive effort against Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. He has also demonstrated his leadership by playing through the right knee pain that sidelined him for 11 of the last 13 regular-season games.
“It definitely uplifts me. I feel like I can’t let him down. If he’s out there battling, then there’s no excuse why I can’t give my best and make the extra effort plays and just go out there and compete at the highest level,” teammate Julius Randle said.
For the Timberwolves to beat the team that has recently become their biggest rival three more times and reach the second round, they will need a steady supply of Edwards' energy on both ends of the court, on the bench and in the locker room.
The Nuggets are sure to bring their own moxie on the road to Minnesota for Game 3 between these well-matched opponents on Thursday. The other Game 3s on Thursday are New York at Atlanta and Cleveland at Toronto.
Over the last four years, including the regular season and playoffs, the Timberwolves and Nuggets have each won 15 of their last 30 meetings.
“Who doesn’t love a big game? Who doesn’t want to wake up for a game with a lot of excitement, a lot of back and forth in it?” Timberwolves sixth man Naz Reid said.
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 7 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Tied 1-1.
Betting line: Knicks by 1 1/2.
What to know: The Knicks were outscored 28-15 by the upstart Hawks in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden in Game 2, a one-point loss to stew on as they seek to regain home-court advantage in the series. Even in the Game 1 win, the Knicks saw a 19-point lead with a little more than three minutes left shrink to eight in the closing seconds. “We've got to play better with the lead,” point guard Jalen Brunson said. The Hawks have plenty of reason for optimism as they come home, considering they split the first two games with little beyond the clutch play of veteran C.J. McCollum to relish from their performance.
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 8 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Cavaliers lead 2-0.
Betting line: Cavaliers by 3 1/2.
What to Know: The Cavs are seeking a 3-0 lead in a first-round series for the second straight year. If they get there, they would set an NBA postseason opponent record with a 13th straight playoff win over the Raptors. Donovan Mitchell has scored at least 30 points in six of his last seven playoff games, averaging 33.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists during that span. Cleveland is 21-7 when its lineup includes James Harden, who became the second player in franchise history with at least 28 points and five steals in the 115-105 win in Game 2 on Monday. Toronto point guard Immanuel Quickley has missed the first two games with a left hamstring strain and remains questionable. Raptors All-Star Brandon Ingram is aiming to bounce back after going 3 of 15 from the field and only scoring seven points in Game 2. “He’s our go-guy guy. We trust him and believe in him. We know he’s going to get shots to drop,” Scottie Barnes said.
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 9:30 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Tied 1-1.
Betting line: Nuggets by 2 1/2.
What to know: With so much recent drama between these division rivals — who are facing off in the postseason for the third time in four years — and plenty of chippy play on the court over the first two games, this series is just getting started. After erasing a 19-point deficit early in the second quarter to win 119-114 in Game 2, Minnesota took some momentum home from the Mile High City. Edwards recorded his sixth 30-point game against Denver in 14 playoff meetings, and guard Donte DiVincenzo was all over the court with a game-high plus-20 rating and 16 points. He's 10 for 16 from 3-point range in the series. The Nuggets claimed to be unbothered by the postgame barb from Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, who said Minnesota's best offensive strategy was to continue to directly attack the Nuggets because they're “all bad defenders.”
AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in New York and AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy in Cleveland contributed to this report.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) reacts after fouling Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots over Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) and Bruce Brown (11) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) shakes hands with owner Alex Rodriguez after defending the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
BATA, Equatorial Guinea (AP) — Pope Leo XIV told inmates at one of Equatorial Guinea’s notorious prisons on Wednesday that they are not alone, as he delivered a message of hope during a visit that drew attention to prison conditions, human rights abuses and injustices that campaigners have denounced for years here.
Leo’s visit to the prison in the Central African port city of Bata followed in the tradition of Pope Francis, who frequently met with inmates on his foreign visits to give them a message of hope.
But Leo’s stop, at the end of his four-nation African tour, took on added significance after it emerged that Equatorial Guinea was one of several African nations that have been paid millions of dollars in controversial deals with the Trump administration to receive migrants deported from the U.S. to countries other than their own.
While none of those migrants are being held at Bata, the visit put the spotlight on Equatorial Guinea’s overall human rights record and its judiciary, which rights campaigners have criticized for its lack of independence, arbitrary detentions and other abuses.
“You are not alone. Your families love you and are waiting for you. Many people outside these walls are praying for you,” Leo told the inmates in Spanish. “If any of you fear being abandoned by everyone, know that God will never abandon you, and that the Church will stand by your side.”
The inmates, all dressed in new neon orange and beige uniforms, had gathered in a central courtyard of the prison, which appeared to have been recently painted salmon pink. As soon as he started speaking, a huge rainstorm opened, drenching the inmates.
In his remarks, Leo also reminded authorities that justice is meant to protect society, but that incarceration is not meant to be punishment alone.
“To be effective, it must always promote the dignity and potential of every person,” he said. “True justice seeks not so much to punish as to help rebuild the lives of victims, offenders and communities wounded by evil.”
After Leo left, the drenched inmates broke into a raucous dance party in the courtyard as the rain continued to pour, shouting “Libertad! Libertad! Libertad!” (Freedom, freedom, freedom).
Leo began the day with Mass in Mongomo, an eastern city on the border with Gabon that has experienced major development since Equatorial Guinea’s oil boom in the 1990s.
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has been accused of widespread corruption and authoritarianism in his four-decade rule, comes from Mongomo and the city has benefited from government investment and infrastructure, even though no official institutions are located here.
While more than half of Equatorial Guinea’s population lives in poverty, Mongomo boasts opulent buildings, curated gardens behind gilt-tipped gates, an 18-hole golf course and is the starting point of the lone highway in the country, linking the city to Bata on the west coast.
Obiang and his wife were on hand for Leo’s Mass, as was their son, Teodoro “Teddy” Nguema Obiang, the country’s vice president who was convicted of embezzling millions of euros by a French court, which handed him a three-year suspended sentence, a 30 million euro ($35.2 million) fine and ordered the seizure of his luxury homes and cars in France worth tens of millions of euros. The country has protested the seizures at the International Court of Justice.
Last year, the United States gave the younger Obiang a temporary waiver on U.S. corruption sanctions so he could travel to a U.N. gathering and visit other American cities. Obiang also met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
The Vatican said an estimated 100,000 people attended the Mass, most standing in the grand entryway to Mongomo’s Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The monumental church was consecrated in 2011 and is modeled on St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
In his homily, Leo urged all citizens to work together to build a society “capable of engendering a new sense of justice,” where there is “greater room for freedom” and where “the dignity of the human person always may be safeguarded.”
He urged everyone, according to their roles, to work to “serve the common good rather than private interests, bridging the gap between the privileged and the disadvantaged.”
“My thoughts go to the poorest, to families experiencing difficulty and to prisoners who are often forced to live in troubling hygienic and sanitary conditions,” he said.
Equatorial Guinea’s prisons and justice system have been repeatedly faulted by the United Nations and condemned by human rights groups and the U.S. State Department.
In its 2023 report on the country, the U.S. listed a host of abuses, including arbitrary or unlawful killings and arrests, political detentions, torture, life-threatening prison conditions and “serious problems” with the judiciary’s independence.
Speaking to journalists at the Bata prison, Equatorial Guinea Justice Minister Reginaldo Biyogo Ndong denied the rights abuses and said the country’s prison and justice systems respect international human rights laws. He said the country's justice system features an “enviable” infrastructure and that it's “ready to guarantee human rights, fundamental rights.”
On the eve of his prison visit, 70 human rights organizations published an open letter to Leo, urging him to speak out especially about the U.S. deportation of migrants here and encourage African nations to not be complicit.
“These practices circumvent humanitarian protections, expose refugees to detention and coercion, and subject individuals to refoulement, in direct contravention of international law,” they wrote.
In the run-up to Leo’s arrival, the government released nearly 100 people who had been arrested in a 2022 crackdown on street violence, according to a local lawyer, who requested anonymity given the country’s human rights record.
The lawyer termed the releases one “positive outcome” of the visit but also noted that the government still hasn’t taken action on releasing jailed activists and politicians.
EG Justice, a rights group which has repeatedly denounced the detention of political prisoners in Equatorial Guinea, urged Leo to use his moral authority to speak out about abuses and the detention of activists and politicians especially.
“There are individuals — prisoners of conscience, and human rights activists — in detention whose cases raise serious humanitarian and due process concerns,” said Tutu Alicante, a U.S.-based activist who runs the EG Justice group.
Monika Pronczuk contributed to this report from Malabo.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Pope Leo XIV arrives at Estadio de Bata Stadium in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, on the 10th day of an 11-day pastoral tour of Africa, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV visits the Bata Prison, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Leo XIV visits the Bata Prison, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Inmates of the Bata Prison meet with Pope Leo XIV during his visit to Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the 10th day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa, in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the 10th day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa, in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the 10th day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa, in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Faithful wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, on the 10th day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa, in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the 10th day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV blesses the faithful at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV, delivers a speech during his meeting with the staff and patients of the "Jean Pierre Olie" Psychiatric Hospital in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Faithful wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of his meeting with representatives of the world of culture in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, on the ninth day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV waves to the faithful prior to the start of a meeting with representatives of the world of culture in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, on the ninth day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Faithful wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV at the airport in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV, flanked by Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, right, is welcomed by Archbishop Juan Nsue Edjang Mayé, left, and Juan Domingo-Beka Esono Ayang upon his arrival at Malabo International Airport in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
