Anthony Edwards says Wolves will 'be back' after playoff exit - ESPN

MINNEAPOLIS — The Dallas Mavericks might have put an abrupt stop to the best Minnesota Timberwolves' postseason run in decades on Thursday, dominating Game 5 to clinch the Western Conference crown and a berth in the NBA Finals, but it didn't dampen Anthony Edwards' outlook on the future one bit.

«We'll be back next year,» Edwards said after totaling 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting, 9 rebounds and 6 assists in a 124-103 closeout loss.

Edwards, a former No. 1 pick, capped off his fourth season in the league with a second-team All-NBA nod and three 40-point playoff games as the Wolves reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since Kevin Garnett led them there in 2004.

All at the ripe, old age of 22.

After sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round and coming back from 20 points down in the second half of Game 7 of the conference semifinals to topple the defending champion Denver Nuggets, the Mavs proved too much for Minnesota.

«It's a lot of our guys' first time being in this light, especially me. It's my first time,» Edwards said. «But we'll be ready, man. We'll be all right. First time. Took a loss. Congratulations to the Mavericks. But we'll be back. We'll be all right.»

The No. 3-seeded Wolves had home court advantage over the No. 5-seeded Mavs but fell down 3-0 to start the series, including blowing an 18-point lead at the Target Center in Game 2 when the eventual unanimous series MVP, Luka Doncic, hit a go-ahead 3 in the final seconds.

Minnesota's vaunted defense, featuring four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, looked vulnerable at times against the two-pronged attack of Doncic and Kyrie Irving. And the Wolves' offense was even less reliable, with Karl-Anthony Towns struggling through