Anthony Edwards was great in Game 3. That still wasn’t peak Ant, who may not appear in these playoffs

After a largely grotesque first quarter offensive for Minnesota in Game 3 on Friday night, Anthony Edwards lit a match that set Target Center ablaze.

The star guard buried a triple with 26 seconds left in the opening frame to trim what was once a 15-point deficit to four.

Then, the next time down, he raced down the floor and fired off a heavily-contested look at the horn – and drained it. Somehow, at the conclusion of a quarter from hell, the Wolves trailed by just one.

More importantly, Anthony Edwards was back.

The superstar guard has gutted through this postseason, first battling runners knee, then returning to action just nine days after suffering a hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee. He certainly has been helpful. But he hadn’t been himself.

Friday marked the closest Edwards has looked to his peak form. He scored 32 points – including 13 in the opening frame – to go with 14 rebounds, tying a playoff career high.

“He was awesome. He was great. It was good,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “He needed that, we needed that, and he’s battling back to find a game like this. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the result that went along with it.”

Previously on a minutes restriction, Edwards played 41 minutes in Game 3. He told Finch prior to the affair that he could play as many minutes as were required. The effort was heroic.

It had the feel of a team emptying the chamber, and yet when the clip was bare, Minnesota was still left without a victory.

Part of the reason why is that Edwards’ teammates failed to make enough shots. A poor shooting performance spoiled an evening that otherwise featured good offensive process. Minnesota tallied 45 potential assists, its highest number of these playoffs and a significant bump from what it produced in the first two games of the series.

But opportunities were rarely cashed in, as Minnesota shot 38% from the field. Another reason for the loss was Edwards.

How can that be true on a night when he shouldered such a large load? Simply because it wasn’t the peak version of the guard. Which is not his fault. His body is limiting his capabilities in these playoffs, and even did so again in a spectacular Game 3 showing.

Edwards went just 5 for 13 from the field in the second half and finished with just five points in the final frame when the game was on the line, three of which came on a triple with 24 ticks remaining when the Wolves were down eight.

Edwards didn’t think it was difficult to gain separation down the stretch, but it was difficult for him to get off looks of any quality when the game was in the balance.

As they did in Game 2, the Spurs threw traps at Edwards in the second half Friday. Edwards occasionally tried to beat the two defenders off the bounce – something he can do at full strength. But he currently lacks the burst to pull off such a maneuver, which relegated him to taking difficult jumpers on numerous occasions.