The Minnesota Timberwolves had to dig deep, and in the end, they got the job done in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, taking a 116-113 win to put LeBron James and Luka Doncic on the brink of elimination. Anthony Edwards was the star of the show, putting up 43 points on 13-23 shooting from the field and even sealing the two free-throws in the dying embers of the game that extended their lead to three.

That play, of course, did not come without its fair share of controversy; the ruling on the floor on the Timberwolves' final offensive possession was that the ball went out of bounds off of Edwards, which would have given the Lakers a chance to take the lead with a bucket on the other end. But head coach Chris Finch decided to challenge the call and had it overturned by the officials, who decided to call a foul on James, giving two free throws to Edwards, and virtually sealing the victory in Minnesota's favor.

Edwards, in his postgame presser, was adamant that he was, indeed, fouled by James. And time vindicated the Timberwolves star, who continued his hot streak in the postseason with another masterclass.

“I knew he fouled me man, cuz he swiped down real hard and hit my arm. That was a great overturn by the refs, we appreciate them,” Edwards said.

In the end, the Lakers have no one to blame but themselves for letting their fourth quarter lead evaporate. Perhaps it was a result of their five core players being tired due to all the heavy minutes they logged, but still, the Timberwolves deserve all the credit in the world for capitalizing on the Purple and Gold's mistakes.

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Edwards will have the chance to twist the knife even further into the Lakers' guts come Game 5, which will be on Wednesday night at 10:00 PM E.T.

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has solved the Lakers' defense

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts after making a shoot against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Anthony Edwards is taking the Lakers' defense to the woodshed; four games into the series, and it looks as though the Timberwolves star has figured out how to navigate the blitzes and hard double teams the Lakers have been throwing at him.

In lineups with Naz Reid at the five instead of Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves have five players on the floor capable of making plays, giving Edwards plenty of confidence to give up the ball. And when the Lakers defend Edwards one-on-one, then they are at the mercy of the Timberwolves star's incredible shot-making. This series might be wraps if Edwards continues to scorch the nets.