Anthony Edwards might’ve just given Luka Doncic all the extra motivation he needed for the rest of the series.
Or, perhaps, the Timberwolves star just produced the lasting image of their opening-round showdown with the Lakers, ensuring his name remains in conversations about the league’s top players and doesn’t get overshadowed by everything that happened with Doncic — who poured in 37 points Saturday and did everything he could to carry the Lakers — this season.
In the early minutes of the fourth quarter, Edwards connected on a 3-pointer over Doncic to give the Timberwolves a 16-point lead, and after pausing briefly, he stretched his arm in celebration, stared at Doncic and taunted him while shuffling his way back down the court.
Edwards, who collected 22 points during Minnesota’s 117-95 win in Game 1, helped the Timberwolves build a lead that ended up being as large as 27 points, and despite Doncic pouring in 16 points during the opening quarter, they still cruised.
“I got a great group of guys,” Edwards told reporters after the game. “But it wasn’t tonight. I learned that in training camp. It just takes a minute for us to gel as a new team. It just took a minute for us to figure each other out, and I feel like now we just go.”
Minnesota managed to reach the Western Conference Finals last season before trading star Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks, so entering their series with the Lakers, much of the spotlight zeroed in on Los Angeles — who added Doncic in a stunning blockbuster deal with the Mavericks in February.
That allowed the 26-year-old to pair with LeBron James and turn the Lakers into a serious contender under first-year head coach JJ Redick, with Los Angeles finishing the regular season 18 games over .500 and snatching the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Still, though, the Timberwolves presented a challenge with Edwards, a former No. 1 overall pick who averaged 27.6 points per game during the regular season.
He connected on four of the 21 3-pointers that Minnesota hit Saturday, dished out nine assists and ensured that their commanding lead wouldn’t fade in the game’s final quarter.
And during that stretch, after his 3 in front of Doncic after initially passing up a shot, Edwards might’ve just produced the taunt that could shape the rest of the series.