Anthony Edwards explains Michael Jordan's role in 44-point “blackout” vs Grizzlies 

Minnesota Timberwolves rising superstar shooting guard Anthony Edwards erupted for 44 points during Thursday's pivotal 141-125 late-season road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Afterward, the three-time All-Star touched on how Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan played a role in his big night.

Minnesota entered the evening one game behind Memphis, with both Western Conference squads looking to avoid the play-in tournament. Edwards came through in the high-stakes contest, scoring 18 of his game-high 44 points in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves pulled away behind a franchise-record 52-point third frame.

In addition to his scoring total, Edwards finished with five rebounds, three assists and seven 3-pointers, shooting a blistering 13-for-19 (68.4%).

Edwards' co-star Julius Randle chipped in a 31-point, 10-rebound double-double to help Minnesota overcome Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant's team-best 36-point performance.

The Timberwolves' critical win moved them into a tie with Memphis (47-33) for the West's No. 7 seed with two outings remaining. However, the Grizzlies possess the tiebreaker.

During his postgame interview, Edwards attributed his standout play to his trainer regularly sending him clips of Jordan talking about his signature offensive confidence.

"C Hines, my trainer, told me to black out tonight, so I tried to do that," Edwards said (timestamp: 0:16).

"We've been watching — I know people are gonna love this — he sends me MJ videos every day about blacking out. I think MJ said something like, 'Why would I worry about a miss if I haven't taken the shot yet?'"

Fortunately for Minnesota fans, Edwards seemingly embodied Jordan's mindset en route to one of his top offensive showings of the season.

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Anthony Edwards' confidence builds as postseason nears

Anthony Edwards' Michael Jordan-esque approach comes at an optimal time for the Timberwolves, who still have a shot at securing a top-six seed.

Following Thursday's victory, they also have the same record as the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors (47-33). Moreover, they are only one game behind the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets (48-32).

While Minnesota will need help from the teams above it to move up, Edwards appears focused on the task at hand.

"We've got two more tough games," Edwards said. "We've got a game tomorrow and then a game in like a day. So, we've just gotta get ready, come out. We don't know what's ahead of us with all the positions five through eight, so we've just gotta take care of business."

Regardless of seeding, if Edwards enters the play-in/playoffs at full tilt, it should bode well for the Timberwolves' chances of making another deep playoff run. They are coming off a conference finals appearance last year, the franchise's first since 2004.

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