Wolves' Edwards saw Wembanyama switch on him and thought uh-oh, before blowing by him for the winner

MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Edwards never shies from clutch-shot opportunities, as the quintessential go-to guy late in games for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Even the three-time All-Star guard, with his NBA MVP aspirations and fearless style of play, acknowledged he gave this one a second thought.

Victor Wembanyama, the rising 7-foot-4 superstar for the San Antonio Spurs, had just switched onto Edwards at the top of the arc with the Timberwolves trailing by one point in their final possession of this thriller Sunday between two of the best teams in the Western Conference.

Edwards was suddenly and uncharacteristically uncertain about his best move against one of the most daunting defenders in the league, whether to create enough space for a step-back 3-pointer, drive hard to the basket or kick the ball down to his top sidekick Julius Randle.

''Because he's so tall, bruh," Edwards said. ''He takes away everything. He takes away the layup, the jump shot, and he's got good feet. He can move. Yeah, he's one of a kind.''

Edwards, as it turned out, made the right choice.

Getting a step ahead of Wembanyama as he dribbled to his right, Edwards slowed a bit as he approached the paint to make his defender think about having to guard against a pull-up mid-range and tightened his path toward the basket. Then he stepped on the gas again and really lost Wembanyama, using Randle's big frame in the post as a buffer from the underneath help and flipped in a 3-foot floater off the glass for the lead.

While Edwards had a modest 23 points on 10-for-21 shooting, he saved his best for last and impressed the Wolves with the type of sound decision in a critical situation that has been one of the few assets consistently lacking from his skill set over the course of his six-year career.

''He values the ball more. He understands that possessions are really important,'' teammate Rudy Gobert said. ''A few years ago, he probably shoots a step-back 3 over Wemby. He can make it, but it's not a high-percentage shot. Tonight he was patient, poised. He attacked, backed up, attacked again, and hit a floater off the glass. And that's where the growth is.''

Edwards has proudly pointed to his arduous work in the weight room and on the court to diversify his offensive game, specifically on either side of the post — for those clutch-time possessions when traps and blitzes make 3-pointers all the more challenging.

''The difference between my previous years is me knowing what shot I want to get — like working on it, constantly working on it,'' Edwards said. ''Like this summer, working on my step-back mid-range, my fadeaways. Like these are the shots I'm going to get to in the late-game situations coming down the court. So just being comfortable, knowing when to shoot it, knowing when they put two on me I've got to get off it, and making the right read.''

___