The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered another tough defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Anthony Edwards is done looking for silver linings. After falling 113-105 in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves star made his feelings clear about moral victories while also addressing his team’s critical late-game execution.

This marks the third consecutive game where Minnesota has been in a position to win but let it slip away in the final minutes. The loss dropped the Timberwolves to 10-8 on the season while the Thunder improved to an impressive 18-1 with their tenth straight victory.

That 18–1 start isn’t just hot by early-season standards, it’s the best 19-game opening since the 2015–16 Warriors started 24–0, and it comes with Oklahoma City missing key rotation pieces like Jalen Williams and Aaron Wiggins while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander plays through nagging illness.

Edwards dismissed any notion of taking positives from the close contest. “I’m not a moral victory type of guy. Nah,” Edwards stated firmly. “We lost. Got our ass kicked, again, by them. I hate it. I’m just ready to play them again.”

The game came down to the final minute, with Edwards hitting a clutch three-pointer to bring Minnesota within one point. However, Thunder center Chet Holmgren immediately answered with a three of his own with just 37 seconds remaining to seal the outcome.

When asked what prevented the Timberwolves from closing out the game, Edwards pointed directly to execution issues. “Free throws was the main event of the whole game. But just those couple turnovers,” he explained. “I think it was a top ball game coming out of timeout. Coach drew a play up. I was supposed to get the rock. Kind of lazy trying to get the ball. Couldn’t get the ball. That’s on me.”

Edwards specifically referenced a critical possession with three minutes left and the game tied 101-101. The Timberwolves turned the ball over without even getting a shot attempt, leading to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander converting the go-ahead basket for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder superstar finished with 40 points despite battling an illness that nearly kept him out of the lineup. Edwards countered with 31 points and eight rebounds, including 14 points in the final seven minutes, to keep Minnesota competitive.

Embracing the Point Guard Role

Following the loss, Edwards made a significant declaration about his evolving role within the team structure. He acknowledged that with the Timberwolves still lacking a true, established starting point guard, Edwards knows the offense often runs through him.

“We’re no designated point guard. I think I gotta be the one to bring the ball up,” Edwards said. “It’s that simple. So we don’t turn it over and get us into an action. Give my teammates shots.”

This aligns with comments from Timberwolves coach Chris Finch before the game. Finch had stated that Edwards is effectively the team’s primary ballhandler, noting “Anthony’s probably more of our point guard than Donte is our point guard. He has the ball. He is our lead guard in that regard.”

Edwards admitted that adjusting to this responsibility remains a work in progress. “I just gotta get used to being a point guard,” he shared. “Going to get the rock. At the end of the game, bringing it up. Even though they pressure, because sometimes I’ll be thinking I’ll let somebody bring it up and then come get it. But just to take the pressure off my teammates, I just gotta bring the ball up to court and get us into an action.”

The Timberwolves get another shot at the Thunder on December 19th at Target Center, giving Edwards his desired opportunity for redemption against the team that eliminated them from last year’s playoffs.