FIRST TAKE | Wolves are favorites for title – Stephen A Smith on Ant Edwards for Game 7 beat Nuggets

FIRST TAKE | Wolves are favorites for title – Stephen A Smith on Ant Edwards for Game 7 beat Nuggets

so here’s what I need to know did you check into the infirmary or are you joining the medical staff to help the wounds combination of both me my heart is aching you know but I’m proud I’m proud of them now you should be proud talk about that later they did it the right way the building that’s what we doing now we ain’t doing nothing now we ain’t doing nothing now Shay we ain’t doing anything now all right W all right you know what I’m saying I mean you got I mean who who’s going to get injured that you know what I’m saying the ball boy hey hey hey legs I was proud of my kids when they could tie their shoes when they could go to the party by themselves I was proud I’m proud of professional oh my go how you doing Stephen I don’t like you right now man I really really don’t man I really really don’t that damn sh I like oh my God you know everybody injured they did a heck of a job they overperformed we’ll get into it in a moment but how about last night yeah I stayed up late for that one and it was worth every second for the first time in two decades the Timberwolves are back in the Conference Finals Minnesota trailed by as many as 20 points in the third before storming back to throne the defending Champion nuggets in game seven despite Anthony Edwards struggling through a six for 24 shooting performance four time All-Star Carl Anthony Town scored 23 points 12 rebounds gave about as an effective a one-on-one defensive effort against Denver’s three time MVP Nicola yic so the Timberwolves comeback win after trailing by 15 at halftime was the largest in a game seven in NBA history it’s never happened and their comeback from down 20 and the third was the largest in a game seven win in the last 20 five postseasons historic let’s hear from both squads up first Anton cat and usually in NBA history it says you have to lose and lose big before you win what is it about this team that says we lost last year yeah but that that that’s different you have to lose at a bigger stage usually teams usually it’s the playoffs we lost last year we lost the last two years damn how much more we got to lose how much you want us to lose losing for 20 years I mean that’s just the truth dog damn how hard is it just to absorb a loss like this after after going ahead by 20 next question man the season’s over that’s what it’s hard being up 20 the season’s over you don’t understand that the season’s over it’s hard stupid ass questions all right that was unnecessary but yeah let’s let’s react to the sound let’s get to the sound before I get into the debate um what do you mean get to the sound meaning like your reaction to the post game both a and Cat and then an and Cat were funny and factual funny and factual other words we’ve been losing we’ been losing 20 years you know they were funny and factual it’s just that simple and so major major props to them with an incredible comeback in terms of Mike Malone a great coach a champion highly respected throughout NBA circles respectfully sir that was not a dumbass question that was a actually it was a very respectful question you walk up by 20 you did end up blowing that lead it was a game seven you’re the reigning defending NBA champions you’re on your home court you one three straight to take a 3-2 lead you got annihilated by 45 points in game six you come back for game seven you’re up 20 and y’all lose to a younger team and what have you the reporter was very very respectful just saying you know could you express what you’re feeling right now because of how you lost it’s one thing if you there is a difference I know a loss is a loss Shannon and legs y’all could speak to that better than me a loss is a loss but on your home court in a game seven trying to defend your crown with a birth to the Conference Finals on the line up 20 and losing the game it is not Beyond The Pale for a reporter to ask you what are your emotions like because that is a little bit different than losing a nailbiter it is a little bit different than getting Anni annihilated by 50 you know even though they got out scor like 54 to 24 over the stretch in the second half yeah I’m just saying I thought the the reporter was very respectful in the question that he asked and I thought that was a complete overreaction and a disrespectful reaction by coach Malone Shay yeah Mike Malone’s going to have to learn you have to handle disappointment and prosperity the same exact same way now Stephen A you remember last year and all during the season when he was KY keying he thought it was cute to keep taking shots at the Lakers every time he turn around he play the Lakers he ke keying in people’s face now look at him now the reporter ask him what can you express your emotions being up 20 on your home court and losing and now the season’s over the season’s over dumb ass question oh no no no no no I want you to have I want you to with your chest out like you was poking fun last year when everybody talking about the Lakers oh they still talking about that we’re the Champs you see you have to handle disappointment and prosperity the same way nobody likes to lose especially legs when you get to this level but it’s a part of it when you when you accept Victory when you accept the things that come along with that you must handle with Grace and dignity disappointment and I thought he handled it totally wrong he was wrong and he should apologize to the reporter I understand when emotions of high logic is low but Mike Malone you was out of line on this one you’re lost you had the three time MVP you’re up 20 on your home court and the Nuggets outscored you 60- 37 in the second half and they held you to 14 points in the third you can’t handle like this Mike Malone I’m totally disappointed with how he handled the post game I completely agree it first of all it was not an inappropriate question in any way shape or form it was actually pretty good question in the moment uh he didn’t handle that well and I by the way I’ll be shocked knowing Michael Malone if he does not apologize he’s the Class Act he absolutely carries himself that way I think when he’s had time to reflect on it when he sees how much that sound is played today I think he’s going to feel pretty badly about the fact that he embarrassed that reporter I think he will come out with an answer here’s the bottom line he’s angry because he challenged his team when they were down 2 in this series before game three and I had a chance to talk to him before that game he was so angry with the position that they were in because he didn’t want to just win a title he did that last year he wanted to go on a run of titles and he was challenging his team to be historic not just win a title and get to the Finish Line how many do you want to win do you want to be rare and unique and and separate yourself in terms of teams that win one and teams that win multiple championships that’s why I think he was so frustrated in the moment and that game was within grasp he could taste moving on to the Conference Finals it was right there and they were not able to stem the tide once Minnesota had a couple of balls go in in the third quarter cuz their offense was terrible in the first half once they started making some shots and they thought to themselves you know what we’re actually in this game they didn’t bury us yet now they could turn the defense loose and you saw this Avalanche that Denver got hit with and there were no answers from Michael Malone from the Denver Nuggets role players who I blame a lot for this loss yesterday yeah and so Michael Malone was so frustrated in a moment he didn’t handle that well he’ll be the first one to own it I believe once he’s had a little bit more time away from this and time to reflect uh actually I want to come to you on this tell me this do you feel like it was more of a wolves comeback or a nuggets collapse you’re asking me Molly yeah yeah yeah this was the Wolves because you got to think about it now they won three games on the nuggas home court that’s the reigning defending champ unreal with a three-time MVP on their roster and they went to Denver and they won three of the four games you want homec court because if you have a game seven you want it in your BS building you want it in front of your fans you got the def you got the MVP on your roster they did that three of four wins that held him under 90 Carl Anthony Town punished anybody he didn’t settle for the three if they had a switch he punished Jamal Murray he punished Michael Porter Jr he punished anybody that was undersized and he got him down on the Block give those guys credit Antman they turned up the defense J uh Jaden McDaniels was Sensational and when Rudy go be hit that Dirk nisy on Yol I said it’s over they can go ahead and call the game right now what if you ever saw Rudy go bear shoot anything but a put back or dunk legs and stepen a he hit a turnaround jumper on one leg like he pulled a yic he pulled a yic that’s what he did he pulled a yic he and so I knew it was over but if you look at the they held that team with Jamal Murray and nicoa yic to 14 points Jamal Murray had 14 in the first quarter guys and they held him to 37 points in the second half legs I agree with you Michael Porter Jr had been MIA this entire series we know Aaron Gordon is normally good for one game where he goes Haywire but when they needed him the difference is Minnesota had six guys in double figures the Nuggets had two their role players let him down Michael Porter Jr Aaron Gordon Casey P there were no shows yesterday and it showed 90 points after you just scored what 60 on Friday and then you turn around and only get 90 n this was about the Wolves this was not about what the Nuggets didn’t do this was about what the Wolves did do well definitely was about what the Wolves did because they held them to 90 or fewer points and three of the four wins in this series and they won three games in Denver games one two and seven in Denver okay so the reigning Defender NBA champions fell three games on their home court that’s just a phenomenal feat to achieve there’s no question about that what I saw first of all let me let me say this because you know at some point in time it’s got to be about me I don’t know you got to be about me I just want to thank the Minnesota Tiber wolv for helping me save face I mean damn I I I said they going to sweep them and they going they they they might win the championship and and damn it after they went down to 22 I was like oh damn they might lose this city this is the embarrassing you understand this might be the worst prediction of my career and sure enough they saved me cuz they won this damn series I had them win a game seven they won game seven they pulled it out and I can’t say enough about what I saw from them defensively legs and Shay I mean their defense when they in the second quarter when they started amping I’m sorry not second the third quarter when they amped it up they went on like a 28 to N Run to close out the quarter it ended up being 54 to 24 spurt today I mean their defense were like piranhas They were all over the place I got to give some love to Mike connley Jr i s the veteran who was 0 and four in game sevens in his career his first game seven win okay this brother shows up one big shot after another big defensive play after another couple of steals was all over the place kept them steady at the same time while doing so call Anthony towns played his ass off got to give give him qu those greedy bastards are never satisfied our Middle Lane Tower is under attack First Blood Mercy is overrated our Slayer Lane Tower is under attack yes an ally has defeated an ally Dragon Lane Tower is under attack don’t hold back our Dragon Lane Tower is under attack and have appeared sometimes words cut deeper than swords dragon has been defeated our Dragon Lane Tower is under attack time you have been defeated enemy dou kill failure is an option surrender is not play hungers V foreign this solar system is most peculiar I have experienced this before First Blood another beginning of infinite possibilities for your tower has been destroyed Friend or Foe all serve their function another beginning of infinite possibilities our base is under attack

FIRST TAKE | Stephen A. Smith gives Timberwolves D credits for historic Game 7 comeback win over Nuggets