March 8 (UPI) -- Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards hovered in the paint before taking flight, elevating so high that he hit his head on the rim as he completed a buzzer-beating block to seal a win over the Indiana Pacers.
"I hit my head on the rim, it's hurting really bad, and I landed on my wrist," Edwards said on the Bally Sports broadcast Thursday in Indianapolis.
"I saw him in the lane. I knew he was going for the layup and I was thinking: 'I'm gonna go get this.' I've never jumped that high in my life."
Edwards scored a game-high 44 points, including 29 in the second half of the 113-111 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Timberwolves guard made 18 of 35 shots from the floor. Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert chipped in 18 points and 14 rebounds.
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The Timberwolves were outshot 51.2% to 46.9%, but held a 48-39 edge in rebounding and 66-60 advantage in points in the paint. They led by as many as 17 points.
The Timberwolves made 14 of 25 shots in the first quarter and carried a 33-23 edge into the second. Edwards scored 11 in the second frame to help the Timberwolves build a 60-49 lead at halftime.
The Pacers rallied by outscoring their foes 34-23 in the third to tie the game at 83-83 heading into the final quarter. The foes exchanged the lead several times down the stretch until Edwards made a free throw with seven seconds remaining for the final advantage.
He missed his second attempt, which was rebounded by Pacers center Myles Turner and passed on to guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Haliburton then launched a pass up the court to teammate Aaron Nesmith. The guard/forward caught the feed and bounced the ball, before picking up his dribble. He then jumped toward the hoop as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
Edwards, who trailed the play, also went airborne, using his left arm to swat the shot before hitting his head and crashing to the ground.
"I found my second wind late in that fourth and it was over," Edwards said. "Once I found that second wind, I knew there was nobody that could stop me."
Edwards is averaging a career-high 26.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game this season. The Timberwolves (44-19) own the best record in the Western Conference and second-best mark in the NBA, trailing only the Boston Celtics (48-14).
The Timberwolves will face the Cleveland Cavaliers (40-22) at 7:30 p.m. EST Friday in Cleveland.
