Edwards turned down Finch's orders late in the game but praised him after.
Anthony Edwards knew what his coach wanted him to do. He just didn't do it.
With the Minnesota Timberwolves clinging to a four-point lead and 42.9 seconds left on the clock, Edwards rose up over two Los Angeles Clippers defenders and let a step-back three-pointer fly.
It was the kind of shot that makes coaches pull their hair out until it goes in.
And it went in, giving Minnesota a 92-88 cushion on the way to a 94-88 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night at Intuit Dome.
After the game, Edwards was asked if head coach Chris Finch had told him to pass the ball in that spot, and his answer was pure Ant-Man.
"Me and my coach got the best relationship ever. I mean, he be right most of the time -- 98% of the time, he be right," Edwards said. "He told me to pass the ball tonight, and I should have passed it, but I shot it instead. And it went in. The basketball gods was on my side tonight."
Edwards Keeps Rolling
The shot capped off another big night for the All-Star Game MVP, who finished with 31 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the floor.
Edwards now sits at 29.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on the season while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three, all career bests for the 24-year-old.
What makes the quote so good is how much it says about the trust between Edwards and Finch.
Edwards is not a player who goes rogue, and he openly admits Finch is right almost all of the time.
But in those moments late in close games, he trusts himself to take the big shot, and the results have backed him up all season.
Two Tough Road Wins Stack Up
Thursday's victory was the second straight road win for the Timberwolves, who beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-121 on Tuesday in a game where Edwards scored 34 points and hit a clutch three of his own down the stretch.
Winning back-to-back games on the road against Western Conference opponents is not easy, and for a team that has had some bumps this year, stringing these wins together is exactly what Minnesota needs heading into the final stretch.
The Timberwolves improved to 37-23 on the season and are sitting in a strong spot in a crowded Western Conference race.
They are 5-1 since February 9 and have won four of their last five overall. Donte DiVincenzo added 18 points off the bench and has been shooting the ball well all month, averaging 13.4 points per game on the season while hitting 39.2 percent from three.
The Clippers, who were without Kawhi Leonard due to an ankle injury, dropped to 27-31 on the season and have now lost three straight for the first time since December.
Los Angeles struggled offensively all night, putting up just 38 first-half points.
What's Next
Minnesota heads to Denver on Sunday for the third game of this road trip.
With the way Edwards is playing and the confidence this team is building, the Timberwolves look like a team nobody wants to see when the playoffs come around.
Even if Finch wanted him to pass.