Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves entered their playoff series with the Denver Nuggets expecting a war, and sure enough, they were mentally prepared for it. So when Nikola Jokic and Co. threw everything they had on the Wolves in Game 1, they didn't falter and prevented a collapse.

As a result, the Timberwolves were able to start the series with a 106-99 win and completely take away the Nuggets' homecourt advantage.

Speaking to reporters postgame, Edwards opened up about their mentality heading to the contest. Ant-Man and Minnesota are well aware of what Denver is capable of, having been on the receiving end of their onslaught in last year's postseason when the Nuggets made easy work of them in five games.

Despite sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round, Edwards and the Timberwolves know better not to get complacent and too confident. And it paid off big time.

“I lost to these guys last year. They are the defending champs, they are a hard team to beat. Great team, they got great players. They have the best player in the league in Nikola Jokic. To me they got the best closer in Jamal Murray, the best 3-point shooter in Michael Porter Jr. So it's tough to beat this team,” Edwards said.

“It's not just my mentality, it's team mentality. We come in and know it's going to be a war. We just played within the game and stayed within the game. They make runs, we know we got to make our runs. Just fight. It's going to be a fight.”

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves show tough mentality vs. Nuggets

True enough, that mentality Anthony Edwards was talking about was evident in Game 1. The Timberwolves started off hot and were ahead 18-4 after seven minutes of play in the first quarter.

Edwards was unstoppable and it definitely looked like they were cruising to victory. However, that was when the Nuggets staged a 21-5 run to take a 25-23 lead in the opening quarter. It was obvious at that point that Denver wouldn't be too easy to beat, and it sure looked like Minnesota was in danger. After all, everyone has seen how Michael Malone's men trailed for the most part against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round only to come back and win their games.

Of course the Timberwolves are not the Lakers. Instead of letting the Nuggets get their way, Edwards and the rest of the Wolves countered. It was Ant-Man who kept them afloat in the first half with 25 points as they trail by four points. By the second half, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid found their rhythm, allowing Minnesota to eventually take the victory.

Edwards finished with a playoff career-high 43 points on top of seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks. He shot 17-of-29 from the field, with the Nuggets unable to slow him down regardless of the player they put on to guard him.

Towns added 20 points, 11 of which came in the second half. Reid, for his part, was crucial in closing out the contest. After scoring just two points in the first three quarters, the Sixth Man of the Year exploded for 14 points in the fourth quarter to ensure the Timberwolves take the win.

Edwards admitted following the win that he absolutely enjoyed the battle, which is definitely good news for Minnesota and not so much for Denver.

The Timberwolves can't expect the same result in Game 2. The Nuggets will make some adjustments and try to contain Edwards, who is the fulcrum of the Minnesota offense. But with the current mental state that the team is in, the Wolves faithful can rest easy knowing that their favorite team won't go down without a fight.