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The Minnesota Timberwolves struck first in their Western Conference Semifinals series agains the Denver Nuggets with a 106-99 win in Game 1. The Timberwolves stole homecourt advantage from the Nuggets and now it’s up to the defending champs to respond. But the talk of the game was focused on Timberwolves star shooting guard Anthony Edwards.
Edwards has been on fire during the postseason so far and that momentum carried over to Game 1 of the semifinals. With his 43-point explosion, Edwards joined some elite company in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, known at the time as Lew Alcindor, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as the youngest players to score 35 or more points in three straight NBA Playoff games as per NBA reporter Kirk Goldsberry.
Agains the Nuggets, Edwards finished with 43 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocked shots. He shot 17-29 from the field, 3-7 from the three point line and 6-6 from the free throw line.
The Wolves are coming off a four game sweep of the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. During that series, Edwards drew comparisons to a young Michael Jordan. If he keeps up this level of play, he is for sure headed towards becoming one of the all-time greats.
Anthony Edwards’ draws comparisons to young Michael Jordan
The No. overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Anthony Edwards has become the Timberwolves franchise cornerstone. He’s arguably the best shooting guard in the NBA with a game that’s reminiscent of a certain No. 23 who played for the Chicago Bulls.
Following the Wolves first round series win against the Suns, Edwards’ teammate Mike Conley Jr. stated that Edwards reminds him of a young Jordan. JJ Redick said that he could envision Edwards taking the mantle of the face of the NBA if he continues this hot streak in the playoffs.
The Timberwolves have emerged as a legitimate NBA title contender with the right blend of players around Edwards. They have a supporting star in Karl-Anthony Towns. They have defense and length with Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. They have the veteran leadership and playmaking in Conley. They have bench depth in Naz Reid, Kyle Anderson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Monte Morris.
The Wolves have become one of the best defensive teams in the NBA and it showed as they held the Nuggets to under 100 points in Game 1. This Western Conference Semifinal series is a rematch of last season’s first round series. The Timberwolves fell to the Nuggets in five games, falling behind 0-3 before winning Game 4 and then bowing out in Game 5.
Edwards was named to his second consecutive All-Star selection and he no doubt will be leading contender for the MVP award in years to come. This season, Edwards averaged a career-high 25.9 points per game, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals with splits of 46.1 percent shooting from the field, 35.7 percent shooting from the three point line and 83.6 percent shooting from the free throw line.
Edwards has become one of the best players in the league on both ends of the court. He has also elevated his game once the playoffs begin.
More must-reads:
- Even Mike Budenholzer admits the Suns need a point guard
- Raptors expected to flip former NBA champion during the offseason
- The 'Most triple-doubles in the postseason' quiz
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