Anthony Edwards Turns Up the Heat in the NBA Playoffs
If you thought the Minnesota Timberwolves would back down against playoff royalty, Anthony Edwards made it clear on Sunday night—that's not happening. The 23-year-old dropped a huge 43 points on the Los Angeles Lakers in front of a buzzing playoff crowd, leading the Timberwolves to a nail-biting 116-113 win in Game 4. That gives the Wolves a 3-1 edge in their first-round series, and the Lakers, with all their history, are suddenly on the ropes.
Edwards was on another level, draining deep threes, slicing through defenders, and attacking the basket with crazy confidence. By reaching his fifth 40-point postseason game before age 25, he joined legends like LeBron James and Luka Dončić in rare playoff company. When you see him slashing past defenders or hitting clutch shots in transition, it feels like Minnesota has found its alpha.
What made this night even wilder was the physical edge to the game. Edwards didn't just outscore the Lakers—he went straight at LeBron James, exchanging hard shoves and relentless trash talk. Cameras caught the two going chest-to-chest. After the game, Edwards said, “You ain’t just gonna push us around all night.” For the Timberwolves, this was more than talk. Every play felt like a response to years of frustration, stepping into a new era where they refuse to be bullied by basketball royalty.
Despite the feisty attitude, Edwards kept it real about LeBron. While there's no backing down on the court, he still referred to the 39-year-old Lakers star as a "big brother" off it, nodding to their time together with Team USA. "I learned a lot from him. Out there, it's just competition," Edwards continued. LeBron, never one to shrink in the playoffs, still posted a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds, turning back the clock once again. But it wasn’t enough for the Lakers to steal back momentum at a critical time. Luka Dončić, who’s been in the spotlight for the Lakers as well, piled on 38 points, but the Timberwolves refused to flinch.
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It wasn’t just Edwards’s scoring that stood out. The way he led—demanding the ball in pressure moments, driving his teammates to match his energy, and defending with force—shows a player who's grown up in postseason fire. Only a year ago, Minnesota snapped a 20-year drought with their first playoff series win since 2004. Now they’re on the verge of doing it again.
Edwards isn’t shy about how he’s taken a leap. He credited long nights of film study and hands-on work with coaches for his playoff jump. “Sean’s been doing a great job of sending me clips… watching more film… just everything like that,” he said, emphasizing the extra hours fueling his performance. Behind the stats, you see a young star obsessed with getting better, not just piling up highlight reels.
Minnesota now heads to LA for Game 5 with a chance to close out the series. The crowd will be loud and hostile, but Edwards doesn’t seem fazed. He’s made it clear—the Timberwolves are coming into the Lakers’ house with a chip on their shoulder, and the old pecking order in the West could be about to change.
