After beating Kevin Durant & Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards eyes Kyrie Irving & Co: "Going to see what I can do vs. him"
Over the weekend, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves punched their ticket to the Western Conference finals. As they prepare for their next opponent, the All-Star guard already has his sights set on one specific matchup.
Aside from some big offensive performances, Edwards stepped it up on defense in the postseason. He guarded Kevin Durant in Round 1 and helped slow down Jamal Murray in Round 2. Now, the former No. 1 pick is looking forward to matching up with another star-level talent.
Following the Timberwolves' Game 7 win over the reigning champions Denver Nuggets and 2023-24 MVP Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards was asked about taking on the Dallas Mavericks. One of the first things he brought up was how he'll match up with Kyrie Irving.
"My matchup going to be Kyrie," Edwards said postgame. "We're going to see what I can do vs. him."
Irving had a slight dip in production against the OKC Thunder but has still been a catalyst to the Mavs' success. In the postseason, the eight-time All-Star is averaging 21.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists on 48/44/84 shooting splits.
Nikola Jokic, meanwhile, had a great second round with averages of 29.0 points, 11.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists on 51.7% shooting, including 88.6% from the free-throw point. He, however, didn't get enough help from his teammates to beat Minnesota in a crucial Game 7.
Anthony Edwards makes bold statement regarding his defense on Jamal Murray
One of the key factors in the Minnesota Timberwolves taking down the Denver Nuggets was their defense on Jamal Murray. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels made life extremely difficult for Murray offensively, making sure he was never able to get going.
As he was leaving the arena after Game 7, Edwards made a quick remark regarding his defense on Murray. He said he had the Nuggets guard "in handcuffs" all series.
In Game 7 on Sunday, Anthony Edwards was the primary defender on Murray for roughly eight minutes. During that stretch, he only scored seven points. Murray shot 3-for-7 from the field and 1-for-4 from beyond the arc with three turnovers when being guarded by Edwards.
For the series, Murray averaged 18.4 points on 40.3% shooting. That is his lowest PPG average and second-lowest field-goal percentage for any postseason series in his career. Murray's worst outing against the Timberwolves came in Game 2 when he finished with just eight points on 3-for-18 shooting.
With this matchup over, Edwards and the Timberwolves have to begin preparing for a brand-new opponent. They'll be facing off against one of NBA's other top all-around stars, Luka Doncic. While Edwards might have zeroed in on Kyrie Irving, he'll likely be tasked with guarding the Slovenian guard at points in the series.
Early in his career, Edwards made a name for himself with his scoring and jaw-dropping athleticism. However, in this postseason, he is solidifying himself as a two-way superstar.