Anthony Edwards Loves Seeing Mike Conley's Defensive Efforts

The biggest story of the Timberwolves vs Pistons game was the brawl between the two teams. It was a testy matchup because the physicality was high, and emotions were also at a fever pitch. 

Pistons guard Malik Beasley had a lot to say during the early minutes of the game, even pulling out his signature shimmy celebration. Beasley had 18 points at halftime on six three-pointers, but he only scored nine points for the rest of the game due to Conley's pesky defense.

Conley Locked Beasley Down In The Second Half

Beasley, a former Timberwolves player, thrived with his off-ball movement. He runs through screens to get open three-point shots, which his play style is centered on. He struggled to do that in the second half because Conley chased him around the court.

Edwards was impressed with his backcourt partner's performance because he defied age and proved he is still a defensive ace when he needs to be.

"In the second half? Incredible. He chased him all over the floor. Made everything tough for him because in the first half, he was talking crazy. Talking to the fans," Edwards said after the Timberwolves win. "But we knew it was going to come around as far as like the score. He was doing a little, that's my dog, but he was doing some frontrunning tonight."

Beasley was held to only five shots in the second half, making only two of them. He had three long-range attempts, but Conley's defense unsettled him. The majority of Malik's second-half points came from the free-throw line, the only spot in the court where Conley did not chase him.

Conley Is Still The Ever-Reliable Guard

Aside from his defensive efforts, Mike also had a strong offensive performance. He was 5-for-9 from the field, including two big three-pointers. It was a classic Conley performance that Minnesota fans should be happy with. 

He is not the quickest player on the floor anymore, but he still makes a difference with how he dictates the game and his impactful scoring. Ant and Julius Randle are the team's primary offensive stars, but having someone like Conley play well off them makes the Timberwolves hard to beat.

With seven games left in the regular season, Minnesota is still fighting for the sixth seed. If Conley and the rest of the Timberwolves play like that again, they should have a big chance of snatching that sixth seed away from the Warriors and Clippers.