“Watching it for next 15 years”: Draymond Green ‘locked in’ on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards’ brewing rivalry
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder are now tied with Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves for the top spot in the West. Both franchises have identical records (30-13), with the Thunder on top as they have won two of their first three games against the Timberwolves so far.
Four-time NBA champion and Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green shared his excitement about the rivalry between the two young stars, Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards, who have stolen the spotlight with their performances so far. Green expects this rivalry to continue for years and he is already 'locked in'.
"This rivalry right here, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards, my God, I will be watching it for the next 15 years, this is going to be a special one. Let's go next 10 years. I will be locked in, because this is going to be a great one. Neither of these guys backs down. Ant is going to say a bit more, Shai doesn't say much," Draymond Green said on his show (segment starts at 39:15 mark).
"But, both players like that, they are both All-Stars, they have both led their teams to No.1 and No.2 in the West."
Anthony Edwards didn't like the calls that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got in recent Thunder vs Timberwolves clash
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder escaped from Minneapolis with a big win over the Minnesota Timberwolves last Saturday (102-97). This was a statement win for the Thunder, who are now tied with the Timberwolves for the top spot in the West.
After the game, Edwards was critical of officiating and called out the referees for the calls that SGA was getting in the game.
"It is hard to contain them with the calls that Shai gets. It is hard to shut them down. You can’t touch him any time of the game. It is super hard to beat. They are a good team, especially when they are getting calls like that," the All-Star guard said, via Basketball Forever.
SGA had 33 points and six assists in the game on 10/22 shooting and 12/13 from the free-throw line. Anthony Edwards posted 19 points, five assists and five rebounds for Minnesota on 6/10 shooting.
This year, both stars continue to play at an elite level. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has averages of 31.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 42 games with the Thunder. Similarly, Edwards has appeared in 40 games for Minnesota with averages of 25.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists, on 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.
The Thunder have won three in a row and seven of their last 10. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are on a two-game losing streak and have lost four of their last 10. The two title contenders will play each other for the fourth and final time in Oklahoma City this Monday, January 29.