Anthony Edwards played like a man on a mission Tuesday night, as he led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 130-121 win at home over the visiting Washington Wizards. To say that Edwards put the Timberwolves on his back in the Wizards game would be an understatement, as he did way more than that.
Anthony Edwards ready for crucial Timberwolves vs. Nuggets clash
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft went off for 51 points to set a new career high. Not only that but the win against the Wizards also kept the Timberwolves atop the Western Conference standings. The Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets entered Tuesday with identical 54-24 records and remain tied for the best record as Nikola Jokic and company also took care of their business on the evening with a 111-95 win over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
Edwards and the Timberwolves own the tie-breaker, though, because they have already beaten the defending NBA champs twice in three meetings so far in the 2023-24 NBA regular season — which makes Wednesday's Timberwolves vs. Nuggets game in Mile High City even more intriguing.
Should Timberwolves fans be worried that Edwards doesn't have enough gas in his tank after spending so much of it in his outburst in the Wizards game? The former Georgia Bulldogs star doesn't think so.
After the win over the Wizards, Edwards was asked on the court if there was “anything left” heading into the all-important clash versus the Nuggets.
“Hell yeah!” Edwards responded as the crowd inside Target Center roared.
"You're going up against Denver tomorrow… You guys are battling for that top spot in the West. Are you going to have anything left after this huge game to take on these Denver Nuggets?"
Anthony Edwards: "Hell yeah!" 😂pic.twitter.com/U7s7BigUBG
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 10, 2024
Against the Wizards, Edwards shot 17/29 from the field and went 6/13 from behind the arc. Edward was also perfect from the free-throw line, going 11/11 on his freebies. In addition to his scoring output, Edwards racked up seven assists and six rebounds in 38 minutes of action. Apart from Edwards, the Timberwolves got ample offense from a surprising source, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker coming off the bench and scoring 23 points. Rudy Gobert provided 19 points and 16 rebounds, while Mike Conley added 15 points and three assists.
The Nuggets are undoubtedly going to prepare for Edwards, who could still be in the zone when he steps on the floor this Wednesday at Ball Arena. The last time Edwards was in Denver with the Timberwolves, he scored 25 points on 8/19 shooting from the floor with four rebounds and five assists plus three steals in 39 minutes of a 111-98 Minnesota win. He missed all of his eight 3-point attempts in that contest, but don't look now, Edwards has also shot 41.0 percent from the 3-pointe region in his last four games.
As for his numbers this season versus the Nuggets, Edwards is putting up 26.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in three meetings.
Social media reactions to Edwards' 51-point explosion vs. Wizards
“Wolves are so lucky to bag Anthony Edwards in their team , his aura is top notch ❤️❤️❤️,” posted @Dycocoo on X (formerly Twitter).
“Realest in the league,” said @scanlanstraight.
It must also be noted that Edwards dropped a 51-point nugget with 50 Cent in attendance.
“Him doing it with 50-Cent in attendance was hard”
ANTHONY EDWARDS WITH HIS FIRST CAREER 50-PIECE 😱
50-Cent was loving it 😂
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 10, 2024
“50 Cent standing up court-side after Anthony Edwards hit 50… … …I deada** be feeling like I’m in a fever dream watching this Minnesota Timberwolves team. Like I can hardly believe these words I’m typing.,” tweeted @notbuaydubz.
“Damn Ant man went for 50!!! MVP, MVP,” reacted @Stevo_12.
Another reaction from @TuriMeyer: “Anthony Edwards showed incredible talent by breaking his career-high in points during a game.”
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