There were a handful of NBA stars on both sides as Team USA took on Spain in an exhibition game Sunday. However, one individual matchup had some fans particularly giddy: Anthony Edwards vs. Juancho Hernangomez.
While Edwards-Hernangomez is hardly a compelling matchup by statistical standards, anybody who has watched the 2022 basketball movie “Hustle” would understand the hype. USA-Spain was a chance to witness fictional Spanish superstar Bo Cruz up against his American rival Kermit Wilts — but this time, in real life.
In what felt like a moment of fan service, Hernangomez even splashed in a three-pointer from the corner right in Edwards’s grill during the first quarter.
Edwards returned the favor in the second quarter. The Minnesota Timberwolves star took off after a Hernangomez miss and powered in a slam on the other end.
Both Edwards and Hernangomez finished with 11 points as Team USA beat Spain 98-88.
It’s not the first time the two faced off since “Hustle” was released in June of 2022. Edwards’s Timberwolves took on Hernangomez’s Toronto Raptors in January. However, Hernangomez played just 12 minutes and took three shots as a little-used bench player for Toronto. Edwards scored 23 points and took the most shots in the 128-126 Timberwolves win. Hernangomez was waived by the Raptors a month later.
Sunday offered the first clash wherein Bo Cruz and Kermit Wilts were once again on relatively equal footing.
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