Anthony Edwards was ready for the playoff stage.
Game 1 against the Suns wasn’t the Timberwolves star’s playoff debut, but this year’s postseason has a different feeling for Edwards. For the first time in the 22-year-old’s young career, he enters the playoffs with a realistic shot at winning an NBA championship.
The Timberwolves will go as far as Edwards — and their league-best defense — takes them, and the electrifying superstar made a loud statement to open their series against Phoenix.
Edwards erupted for 18 points in the third quarter alone, turning a two-possession game into a 20-point lead in the blink of an eye.
Knocking down tough shot after tough shot, Edwards had the Target Center crowd rocking. He drilled a heavily contested stepback 3 in Suns star Kevin Durant’s face and had some choice words for him going down the other end.
That moment perfectly captured the unstoppable zone that Edwards found in Minnesota’s win to take a 1-0 series lead.
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Anthony Edwards Game 1 stats
- 36 minutes
- 33 points
- 9 rebounds
- 6 assists
- 2 steals
- 14-24 field goal shooting
- 4-8 3-point shooting
- 1-2 free throw shooting
Anthony Edwards’ third quarter explosion decides Game 1
The Timberwolves had a 10-point lead at the half and Edwards only had 10 points. Minnesota’s lead was trimmed to five by the midway point in the third quarter and it looked like the game was headed toward a tight finish.
Then Edwards flipped a switch and the Timberwolves never looked back.
Edwards started to get into his bag, showing flashes of Michael Jordan with his footwork on a couple of turnaround midrange jumpers.
AGAIN.
This time he fades and gets the roll for 20 points on the game 🔥 https://t.co/iARclzywRq pic.twitter.com/2IYVNngFX0
— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2024
The Suns tried to douse the fire by putting Durant on Edwards, hoping KD’s length could disrupt Ant’s rhythm. The matchup change had no impact on Edwards’ heater, going right at Durant on two possessions in a row.
First, he got Durant with a lefty hesitation dribble, then hit a midrange stepback over the Suns star’s outstretched hand.
ANT IS PUTTING ON A SHOW 🤩
This time he goes HESI.
12 points in the 3Q, 22 in the game on ESPN pic.twitter.com/7MDc1dF3zk
— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2024
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On the next possession, Edwards froze Durant on a snatchback dribble, evaded a double team and buried a tough 3-pointer in KD’s grill to send the Target Center into a frenzy.
HANDLES INTO TRIPLE 👌
This three in Ant’s 18-point 3rd quarter barrage was TOUGH.
PHX-MIN on ESPN pic.twitter.com/W1SJGbplWQ
— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2024
Edwards let Durant hear it the entire way down the court, talking trash as the Timberwolves took an insurmountable 20-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Edwards exploded for 18 points in the third quarter alone, shooting 8-for-11 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3.
Anthony Edwards talks trash to Kevin Durant
We’ll leave the interpretation to the lip-reading experts, but Durant could do nothing but smile as Edwards let him know he was taking the game over.
ANT & KD 😂 pic.twitter.com/q5nYFrAjZI
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) April 20, 2024
That is the level of intensity that playoff basketball is all about.
After the game, Edwards didn’t disclose what he said to Durant, but he admitted it was one of the coolest moments of his life.
“I think everybody here knows that’s my favorite player of all time. That was probably one of the best feelings ever in my whole life, for sure.”
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