Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics found themselves in a nip-and-tuck affair against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, expectedly so. After all, this is a clash between an unstoppable force (the Celtics with the best offense in the NBA) and an immovable object (the Timberwolves with the best defensive rating thus far). In the end, it was the immovable object that won out like in that iconic The Script song, with the Timberwolves taking home a 114-109 win in overtime.

The Timberwolves, thanks to Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert, made life on offense extremely difficult for the Celtics, holding them to below 40 percent from the field on the night. Tatum and company were also unable to take care of the basketball, turning the ball over in crucial moments leading to their undoing.

Moreover, Edwards also stepped up and defended Jayson Tatum exceptionally well during overtime. On one such possession, Edwards had the Celtics star clamped despite having five fouls to his name. In the aftermath of the Celtics' defeat, Tatum could do nothing but heap some lofty praise for Edwards due to his two-way brilliance in a game which he finished with 38 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.

“I mean Ant is one of my favorite guys to watch in the league, you know, how explosive and talented he is. He continues to get better each and every year and I just like how he competes on both ends of the floor. He made some big, big plays for his team, especially down the stretch,” Tatum said in his postgame presser, per SneakerReporter.

Game recognizes game, and Jayson Tatum, who finished with 32 points despite the loss, certainly recognizes that Anthony Edwards got next in a league dominated by perimeter-based superstars. Edwards looked much-improved during the offseason, even taking the mantle as Team USA's best player in their failed FIBA World Cup run in the Philippines, and he's simply carrying over these improvements into a much bigger stage.

The next matchup between the Celtics and Timberwolves will come on January 10, 2024, so fans should already encircle that date on their calendars to witness yet another explosive matchup between Tatum and Edwards.