Anthony Edwards and the T

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The ball left Anthony Edwards’ right hand and bounced off the back rim at the buzzer, sending him sprinting off the court in anger over his miss of a tying 3-point try for Minnesota that preserved a series-clinching Game 5 victory for eventual NBA champion Denver.

Edwards and the Timberwolves have worked tirelessly since that moment to become more than a one-and-done team, and their measuring stick has arrived.

They’ll return to the same arena where their season ended a year ago, in the second round this time, and face a Nuggets team raring to defend its title. Game 1 is Saturday.

If the Timberwolves knock down the Nuggets, it will likely be a product of Edwards’ brilliance. His 31-point second half last week that propelled them to a sweep-completing victory at Phoenix was his latest masterpiece, not simply as a scorer, but as a passer, a defender and a leader.