SAN FRANCISCO – With the Warriors leading by six and less than 10 minutes remaining, the streaking Minnesota Timberwolves called upon their firebrand leader. Anthony Edwards strolled to the scorer’s table with one job: Take his team to the finish line.
The Warriors immediately countered, summoning Gary Payton II. The defensive specialist checked in for one purpose: Do not let Edwards take his team home.
Payton succeeded at platinum level. Diving inside Edwards’ jersey, GP2 created much of the pressure that suffocated Minnesota’s offense down the stretch Sunday night, allowing the Warriors to walk off the Chase Center floor with a stirring 114-106 victory.
“They were aggressive on him,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said of the Payton-led defense on Edwards.
That aggression was cranked to optimal when it had to be. The Warriors had seen Edwards’ work two nights earlier, when he scorched them for 30 points – 11 in the fourth quarter – in a 107-90 victory. They did not care to see an encore.
“Ant is an incredible player,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Edwards. “Late in the third quarter, he had it rolling. At that point, it’s just put your best defender on him. You don’t really want to send a double team because you got other guys knocking down shots . . . we just wanted Gary to play him straight up, give him some help in the gaps, trying to make things crowded without double-teaming.”
With Payton as the primary defender throughout, Edwards picked his spots and was effective for three quarters, scoring 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Payton’s primary impact was forcing turnovers, as Edwards committed four through three quarters.
Edwards’ fourth quarter, however, was one he’d like to forget. Payton victimized him for a steal 24 seconds after subbing in and another with 1:01 remaining that led to a Buddy Hield 3-pointer to give the Warriors a 112-106 lead. In addition to the two late turnovers, Edwards was 1-of-7 from the field in the fourth.
“Probably tougher than Friday night,” Payton said, recalling Edwards’ heroics. “A guy like him, you can’t let him get comfortable early. I just try to disrupt him and make him work earlier in the game. Try to just continue to wear him down, wear him down. He was making shots. Then, at the end, strap up and make plays.”
With the game at stake, GP2 was in Edwards’ hair like new dye. The Warriors followed that lead, blocking four shots in the fourth – with Payton recording one – and limited the Timberwolves to 16 points on 6-of-21 (28.6 percent) shooting from the field.
Payton scored on two points in the quarter, shooting 1-of-4 from the field, but none one was more impactful in keeping Minnesota from making a move.
“He just has a way to figure it out,” Stephen Curry said. “And the last five minutes of tonight . . . He played well all game, but that last five minutes just trying to give Anthony Edwards as much hell as possible, that’s who he is.”
With Andrew Wiggins out with an impingement in his right ankle, Kerr shuffled the lineup. In addition to Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Curry, Buddy Hield was given his first start of the season. Payton was in the starting lineup for the third time.
“Without Wiggs, we wanted to start Gary on Ant and just have our best defender on him right away,” Kerr said. “Gary’s also historically really good with Steph. And then we felt like we had to get Buddy going, and the best way to do it is to put him out there with that group.”
The decision to start GP2 began with a suggestion made by Pabail Sidhu, the team’s analytics and innovation guru. In addition to the typically strong numbers when Payton and Curry are sharing the court, there also was, well, that Edwards guy.
Asked about the key to the fourth quarter that devastated the Timberwolves, Kerr didn’t hesitate.
“Gary. Also, the help behind him,” he said. “Draymond and JK both made some good plays at the rim. Draymond’s help allows Gary to maintain that pressure on Edwards and trust that he’s got help behind him. Gary was just brilliant tonight.”
Edwards, 23, is among the emerging faces of the NBA. Effervescent, athletic enough to enter any dunk contest and leading the league in 3-point makes. For three quarters, he was terrific.
The fourth, however, belonged to Payton, a basketball vagabond until landing with the Warriors three years ago at age 29. And one who has not seen his last start of the season.
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