Kevin Durant may be Anthony Edwards' favorite player, but that won't stop the competitiveness from flowing within the young Minnesota Timberwolves star. On Sunday, Edwards and his team prevailed in Game 4 to complete a first-round series sweep of the Phoenix Suns. The 6-foot-4 guard finished the game with 40 points, nine rebounds, six assists and plenty of trash talk. Even after the game, Edwards made it known that he would be reminding Durant about the sweep during their upcoming stint with Team USA for the Olympics.
“I’m excited to play with him this summer (with Team USA), talk a little trash, and let him know I sent him home,” Edwards said, following the 122-116 win. (per ESPN's Malika Andrews)
Edwards was very vocal the entire game. The 22-year-old was mic'd up during the first-half, and at one point he had this to say to the Suns forward.
“It won't get that easy no more, K (Kevin)!”
And to put icing on top of the cake, Edwards threw down a monstrous dunk over his favorite player with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth.
While Suns fans are surely irked by Edwards' chatter, he has every right to talk. After all, eliminating a team with the likes of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal is no easy task.
Entering the series, many folks figured the Suns would at least have a fighting chance to advance to the second round considering how Phoenix went 3-0 against Minnesota during the regular season. However, the Timberwolves reminded the league why they're the number three seed in the West by sending the Suns home for the offseason in just four games.
Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves complete the sweep
During the first game of the series, Edwards exploded for 33 points. In Game 2, the Suns were able to contain Edwards, but role players such as Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley stepped up and led the way. This past Friday, the Timberwolves imposed their size inside while Edwards once again piled up the points. And on Sunday, a 40-piece from Antman sealed the deal.
The Suns showed plenty of fight in Game 4, as seen in how there were a total of 23 lead changes throughout the contest. Neither squad led by more than six points and it all came down to the fourth quarter.
During the last three minutes of regulation, the Timberwolves clung to a two-point advantage, with the score being 113-111. Edwards' aforementioned slam over KD then occurred, extending the cushion to four.
The Suns committed a crucial turnover, which was followed by two made free-throws from Edwards. Booker responded with a layup, but Conley sank a pair of charity-stripe shots to keep the lead at six points with 1:41 remaining.
Neither team was able to convert offensively until there were just 26 seconds remaining in the game. Booker sank free throws to lower the deficit to four points, but a quick dunk by Edwards with 20 seconds left sealed the deal for Minnesota.
Advancing to the second round, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves now await the winner of the series between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers.
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