"Told his a** we love that" - Anthony Edwards uncovers details of verbal back and forth with Jamal Murray
Anthony Edwards displayed his tenacious nature after the Timberwolves surrendered a 2-0 series lead to Jamal Murray and the Nuggets at home on Sunday. Minnesota succumbed to a 115-107 loss, which seemed like a blowout at various junctures.
As the Nuggets closed towards the win that tied the series 2-2 heading back to Denver, Murray hyped his teammates and low-key trash-talked his counterparts.
"We ain't losing out here," Murray yelled (via LegendZ NBA on X).
Despite ending on the losing side, Edwards kept his headstrong mentality intact and chirped back at the Nuggets' point guard as he walked past him on the final possession.
"I just told his [Murray's] a**, 'we love that keep talkin' that. That's what we like,'" Edwards said. "He didn’t say nothin’ back. But I’m pretty sure he heard me. They heard me."
While the Timberwolves didn't earn the bragging rights, Edwards, with a 44-point outing, was seemingly confident of his chances of leading Minnesota to a win in Game 5 at Denver. He ensured the Timberwolves could stay in the game with his offensive bursts when the leads stretched further.
However, the Nuggets did a solid job against everyone else on the Wolves to fend off Edwards-inspired runs.
Anthony Edwards unfazed after giving up 2-0 lead
Anthony Edwards seemed relaxed despite the Timberwolves giving up a 2-0 advantage. They could have had a chance to go up at least 3-1 against the defending champs with homecourt advantage. However, Denver displayed its mettle under complicated circumstances to return favors of Games 1 and 2 with comprehensive wins at Target Center.
While the momentum seems to have shifted in the Nuggets' favor with back-to-back blowout wins, Edwards remains confident about that not being the case.
"I don’t think they got any momentum," Anthony Edwards said. "I mean, we won 2 games, they won 2 games. At this point, it’s whoever win 2 games. I’m happy, I’m ready.
"We’re competing at the highest level. I’m smiling about it because I’m happy, I’m ready to go play, if we play tomorrow, I’ll be ready. It’s going to be fun!"
The Nuggets deserve credit for figuring out the Timberwolves' juggernaut after the opening two games. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray spearheaded that bounce back after overcoming their poor outings and breaking down the defensive coverages with their patented two-man game that opens up the team's offense in numerous ways.
However, the Timberwolves' shortcomings in this contest also hindered their chances of winning at least one home game to keep their commanding series lead. Minnesota didn't adjust as swiftly as the Nuggets, nor did they replicate the physicality displayed in Denver for the opening set of games.
The series remains wide open if the Timberwolves can rediscover their tenacity, especially with Anthony Edwards putting up a near-all-time series performance.