Anthony Edwards. Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Watch: Anthony Edwards has ridiculous first quarter versus Mavericks

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Oct 29, 2024 8:12 PM ET

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was on fire during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft scored 24 points during the opening 12 minutes in the rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals.

Edwards was 8-of-10 shooting, including 6-of-8 from beyond the arc.

He got the scoring started with an excellent drive toward the basket for a layup on Minnesota's first possession.

Ant Edwards with the crafty two-step and reverse to get us started!

DAL-MIN, LIVE on TNT pic.twitter.com/pK1baRzIKR
— NBA (@NBA) October 29, 2024

He added a pull-up three after the Mavericks (2-1) pulled within one, 24-23.

Anthony Edwards pull-up transition 3 pic.twitter.com/s2dz0wcRCR
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) October 29, 2024

Later, guard Donte DiVincenzo found Edwards for a transition three, and then Edwards worked around a Rudy Gobert screen for his sixth three to give the Timberwolves an eight-point lead.

Donte razzle-dazzle... ANT TRIPLE.

Make it 20 for the @Timberwolves star... https://t.co/eeGb6LPlHX pic.twitter.com/ZVzStcGTMR
— NBA (@NBA) October 29, 2024

A 24-point 1st quarter... ANTHONY EDWARDS IS ON A MISSION.

His SIXTH triple of the quarter on TNT! pic.twitter.com/V2m1TStbU5
— NBA (@NBA) October 30, 2024

Last season, Dallas defeated Minnesota in five games during the Western Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals.

Edwards is coming off his best NBA season in 2023-24, when he finished seventh in MVP voting, reached his second consecutive All-Star Game and made an All-NBA team for the first time.

Through the Timberwolves' first three games in 2024-25, Edwards averaged 27.7 points while averaging a staggering 13.3 three-point attempts per game.

The way he's shooting early against Dallas, his green light isn't turning red anytime soon.

The Timberwolves (2-1) lead 34-26 after the first quarter.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

More must-reads: