Anthony Edwards continues to be key in clutch for Timberwolves

Minneapolis — With the Target Center crowd on edge and an 11-point cushion evaporating early in the fourth quarter Friday night, veteran guard Mike Conley turned to Anthony Edwards on the bench and delivered a simple directive: it was time for the 24-year-old star to re-enter the game.

“I was like, ‘Nah, he’s going to put me in,’” Edwards said, trusting that coach Chris Finch would make the call.

That summons arrived with seven minutes left after Tyus Jones’ bucket knotted the score at 103-103. Edwards answered instantly, burying a step-back three on his first touch and igniting a personal 14-point barrage that carried Minnesota to a 122-111 victory over Dallas. He finished the stretch 6-for-8 from the floor, mixing drives, mid-range pull-ups and baseline turnarounds to stave off the Mavericks’ rally.

“Ant was awesome,” Finch said. “He finished the game like he can. I thought his shot selection was really good for the most part. He took the right shots. In clutch time, he got to his spots pretty simply.”

Finch has long urged Edwards to abandon elaborate dribble sequences in favor of quick, decisive moves to his preferred locations. The approach has turned Edwards into one of the league’s most reliable closers: he is shooting 60 percent in clutch situations this season, the best rate among 65 players with at least 25 such attempts, according to NBA tracking data.

The evolution stems from expanding his shot profile. Edwards has weaponized the top-of-the-arc three since last season and has since layered in elbow jumpers and a turnaround from the baseline, counters he can unleash against any coverage.

“I think Finchy is a big part of my success,” Edwards said. “He has been preaching that to me for the last two years.”

The star guard credits improved floor reading for his late-game poise.

“I think teams really don’t want me to shoot the step back going left, so they be pressed up,” he said. “They kind of let me go by them, honestly. It’s starting to feel like they just let me go to the rim. So, just trying to pick my spots — when to shoot the 3, when to get to the pull up, when to get to the rim. (It’s) just reading the game.”

Rudy Gobert sees the maturation every night.

“Year after year, I think his decision-making is the key,” the center said. “For him to pick his spots and not settling every time and be able to attack and make the right play when they put two on him — find his teammates, trust his teammates. I think he has been getting better and better, and this year is the best I’ve seen him.”

With the ball in Edwards’ hands down the stretch, Minnesota believes it has one of the world’s premier closers — a belief the guard keeps validating one clutch bucket at a time.