Anthony Edwards dropped 40 points in Game 4 of the first-round playoffs to help his team get to a 122-116 win. The 22-year-old’s brilliance has helped the Minnesota Timberwolves secure a 4-0 series win over the Phoenix Suns and advance to the Conference Semi-Final. Ant had a poor first half in the close-out game, but he showed his true abilities in the second half to lead his team to the finish line.
Many were expecting the series against the Phoenix Suns to be a tough one for the Timberwolves. However, they never looked in trouble and dominated their way to a series win. Anthony Edwards averaged 31 PPG in the four games, his ability to take over games was what helped the T-Wolves look comfortable throughout the series.
Playing against the likes of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker was never going to be an easy task. These are three of the most decorated scorers in the game, but Timberwolves’ defense was ready for this battle. All the players put in a fantastic shift to contain the Suns’ offence, which although looked shaky, had some big moments in the regular season.
Anthony Edwards will be key to the Timberwolves’ chances
Anthony Edwards has been on a tear all season. Even while Karl-Anthony Towns was out of the team due to injury, it was Ant-Man who stepped up and carried the team to a Top-three seed in the West. He continued his exploits with a great performance against his idol, Kevin Durant. The young superstar now has an even bigger task at hand and it will be interesting to see how he does when the lights are even brighter in the Conference Semi-Final.
The T-Wolves will be playing the winners of the Lakers vs Nuggets series. The defending champions are leading the series 3-1 and will travel home for Game 5, where they will look to clinch their place in the Conference Semis. Last season, the Timberwolves met the Nuggets in the first round and it was there that the world got their first glance of Anthony Edwards’ potential in the playoffs.
He averaged over 30 PPG, but the Nuggets were too strong for the Timberwolves as they grabbed a 4-1 series win. After their championship run, several players on the Nuggest confirmed that the matchup against the T-Wolves was the toughest in their entire playoff run. A year later, Minnesota has become even better and looks determined to make a deep playoff run. They are led by a dynamic young player in Anthony Edwards, but they also have players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and Naz Reid, who are all contributing actively towards the team’s success.
Anthony Edwards is in the mix to be the face of the NBA
The 2023-24 NBA season is all about young players. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic have all dropped stellar performances throughout the year. They have continued their brilliance in the playoffs and are going to be key to their team’s chances of winning a championship.
Anthony Edwards has been in the playoffs before, but this is the first time that he has led his franchise to the second round. He will be keen to help them win another series, but it is not going to be easy against the Nuggets or Lakers [if the Purple and Gold miraculously win their next three games.] There are a lot of young names that are playing like they want to be the face of the league. But it is Ant’s overall game and demeanour that makes him the best fit to carry the legacy of the league forward.
