Anthony Edwards’ game-high 34 points were not enough to avoid a 27-point loss to the Orlando Magic. It snapped the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 5-game winning streak, and their star player knows why they lost. Surprisingly, the ever-vocal 24-year-old hesitated about speaking about the team’s struggles.

In the second frame, the Wolves only had 2 points in the last 5 minutes. The Magic also went on a 19-2 run, and that domination continued till the end of the game. Answering about the offensive collapse, the answer from Edwards was cryptic.

“I don’t know. Yeah. I wish I had an answer for you. I do got an answer, but I don’t want to say it, but so I don’t know.”

What Anthony Edwards did not want to say reflected on the stat sheet. It wasn’t about what An-Man did; it was about what his teammates didn’t do.

Outside of Edwards, Minnesota’s top-eight shot just 34.4 percent (21-61). Two starters, Donte DiVincenzo and Jaden McDaniels, had a 0-15 shooting effort. In fact, the newest acquisition, Ayo Dosunmu, scored just 3 points and had a 1-6 afternoon in Target Center. While the team struggled to get the shots in, Ant-Man was explosive from the beginning.

The four-time All-Star dropped 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting and a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point range in the first 8:40 of the game. Anthony Edwards ended with 34 points on 8-18 shooting and was efficient from downtown on 5-9 attempts. So, the team’s leader replied that he knew the reason for the loss but was unwilling to discuss it.

Another reason for their loss, apart from the shooting woes, was the team’s effort on the glass. With 58 rebounds to Minnesota’s 37, the Magic won the possession battle, widening their margin for error with multiple second-chance opportunities. Orlando’s physicality was paramount all afternoon. Usually, Ant-Man would candidly speak about his struggles and his team’s. But this time he chose not to.

Is there a locker room divide in Anthony Edwards-led Wolves?

There have been games this season where Edwards has led in scoring, but the team failed to reach 100 points. Against Golden State in January, he would score game high 32, but the Wolves could only compile 85 points. Then in February, Minnesota failed to breach the triple-figure mark twice against the Clippers. The first game was a 115-96 loss with Edwards scoring a team high 23, and the second was a 94-88 win with their leader dropping 31 points.

Another reason why Anthony Edwards failed to address criticism was that a few days earlier, his teammate offered a blunt assessment of the team’s offensive struggles. Rudy Gobert was candid enough to state what the team was missing in its last two playoff pushes. “I think just passing the ball.” For a long stretch, it’s been Ant-Man who has effectively operated as Minnesota’s point guard.

However, head coach Chris Finch still instilled some confidence in his 4-time All-Star and believed Edwards had handled the responsibility well while continuing to earn the trust of the locker room.