Wolves fail to heed Edwards' warning, come out 'cool' in rout - ESPN

SAN ANTONIO — Prior to Wednesday night's Game 2, Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards relayed a warning he had given to his teammates.

«The natural tendency for teams that steal the first game, the away team, they get blown out in Game 2,» Edwards said of his message. «We can't come out cool.»

In an eventual 133-95 blowout loss to the recharged San Antonio Spurs, the Timberwolves scored only 17 first-quarter points, 18 second-quarter points, turned the ball over 22 times, fell down 24 at the half and spiraled into a 47-point hole, sending the series back to Minneapolis tied 1-all.

«We came out cool,» Edwards said. «Look what happened. My momma used to tell me that a hard head make a soft ass. That's what happened tonight.»

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was even harsher in his assessment, telling his team after the 38-point blowout that «we just got punked.»

«Punked is crazy,» Edwards said when told the term. «But, I mean, just look at the film and see what we can gain from it.»

The film will reveal a desperate and physical Spurs team, pressuring the Timberwolves full court, attacking their dribble and deploying selective double teams on Edwards when he crossed halfcourt, getting the ball out of his hands and disrupting his rhythm.

«They was playing crazy, right?» Edwards said of the Spurs' extra attention. «Watch film, find the holes in it. We didn't make enough shots to get them out of it.»

Finch didn't like how Edwards and the team's variety of other playmakers responded to the overload scheme and amped up pressure.

«Got to get off of it,» Finch said. «Got to use it as a catalyst for ball movement, what it should be. I thought we dribbled to tough spots. I thought we were late getting off it. I thought our