Anthony Edwards doubted he could play, still 'hurting' after explosive opener

Edwards credited his offseason work for getting him ready for the opener, noting the Wolves' training staff had him "running all summer."

"Just being prepared, I think that's the main thing. You want to be prepared coming into the season," Edwards explained. "Like, my last five years, I tried to take the first 10 games to get into shape, and this year I was like, I'm going to use the summer to get into shape. So I think that was the difference."

Despite Ant's strong performance, the Wolves trailed for much of the game. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that they were able to get consistent stops, which allowed them to surge ahead late and steal the win. When asked what helped the team turn around the performance, Edwards singled out second-year guard Jaylen Clark.

"Jaylen Clark, man, he's incredible. On the ball, in the gaps, playing the passing lanes. Everything he does elevates the team on the defensive end. We just try to follow that type of energy," he said.

Clark played 16 minutes, and while his two points won't stand out, his contributions elsewhere, grabbing four boards and a pair of steals, helped the Timberwolves take over in the fourth.

Jaden McDaniels was also a big presence, scoring 18 points, grabbing five rebounds, and blocking three shots. He was 3 of 4 from three, including a triple to give Minnesota a 111-110 lead with just over two minutes to go.

"I told him, man, that three ball looked good. You can tell he been working," said Edwards. "Like, the first five years of his career it was kind of flat. This year, I mean, tonight it was like he got the arc on the ball. It looked like he knows it's going in now. That comes from working. So, if you working like that, then you know it's going in. I'm going to get him in that gym with me, it's going to be super cash then."

Edwards and the Wolves will have Thursday night to travel and rest before they take on the Los Angeles Lakers Friday night in a rematch of their first-round playoff series last season. That rest will be incredibly important for Edwards, who noted he was in some pain following the big performance.

"It's hurting. I'm in pain right now, but yeah, I was good throughout the game," he said.

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