Anthony Edwards has officially arrived. Many expected the series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix Suns to be a close series. While the Timberwolves have played incredible ball this season, the Suns’ sheer firepower was still a threat. So far, though, Phoenix has not been able to pose a threat to the Minnesota attack. That’s thanks in large part to Edwards blossoming this postseason.
Edwards has been relentless against the Suns, leading the Timberwolves to an incredible 3-0 record against Phoenix. After a solid first run in the postseason last year, Ant continues to prove that he’s truly one of the best today. His 36-point, nine rebounds, and five assists game gave him his seventh 30-bomb in the postseason. That makes him the franchise leader in that category, tying Kevin Garnett.
“Anthony Edwards delivers as the @Timberwolves pick up the road win and take a 3-0 series lead!
36 PTS
9 REB
5 AST. This is Ant’s 7th career 30-point game in the postseason, tying Kevin Garnett for must such games in franchise history.”
After the game, Garnett made sure to give Ant his flowers. The Timberwolves legend encouraged Edwards to continue breaking records as he leads Minnesota in the postseason.
“@theantedwards_ BREAK EVERY RECORD
”
Edwards is looking to do what no Timberwolves star has done before: lead the team to a championship. Garnett, for all his talent, was unable to lead Minnesota into deep playoff runs. Since then, it’s been nothing but misery for the team. Now, Ant, Rudy Gobert, and Karl-Anthony Towns, are hoping to bring the Larry O’Brien to Minny.
Timberwolves’ path of destruction
So far, the Timberwolves have been absolutely wrecking the Suns in the playoffs. The last two games have been complete blowouts, with the team getting contributions all across the board. Between Ant’s electric scoring, KAT’s outside shooting, and Gobert’s elite defense, Minnesota has been completely dominant.
Meanwhile, the Suns look completely lifeless, in part due to Minnesota’s defense. A more pressing matter, though, is Phoenix’s lackadaisical defense and listless offense. Their offense against the Timberwolves has devolved into what is basically 1v5s featuring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, or Bradley Beal. On defense, they just haven’t been able to stop Minnesota’s attack.
As for Edwards… the star forward has shown immense growth in the last few years. He entered the league as a can’t-miss prospect with incredible scoring chops. However, questions about his effort on defense and playmaking arose. So far, Ant has conquered these hurdles. As the Timberwolves leaned more on Edwards, the star developing his playmaking ability. His drives now pack more punch, as he can dish it out if he feels pressure.
Of course, Edwards’ bread-and-butter is still his scoring. Ant’s shooting was a bit shaky in the series, but he bounced back with this masterpiece to give the Timberwolves a resounding 3-0 lead. The series is not yet over, not by a long shot. With how volatile scoring is today, they are just a hot streak away from losing. Still, having this big of a cushion is a great thing for this Timberwolves team. Gobert said it best: it’s crazy to imagine that Ant is just 22 and he’s doing this already.
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