Sunday afternoon felt like a season-defining win for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Faced with a double-digit fourth quarter deficit, the Wolves needed some answers quickly if they wanted to avoid heading back to Los Angeles tied 2-2.
Pretty soon, their answers would come in the form of two words: Anthony Edwards. Number five put up a positively heroic effort to push the Wolves over the finish line, and he ended the game with 43 points on 12-for-23 shooting. In the end, it was the two free throws Edwards knocked down after Minnesota's successful challenge that ultimately gave the home team the win.
Edwards has been on a heater all series long, and his performances have only gotten more impressive with each game. After going for just 22 in the Wolves' blowout win in Game 1, he logged 25 and 29 points in the next two games of the series before this epic performance on Sunday.
It was the manner in which he dominated Minnesota's Game 4 that had the national audience beginning to ask some big questions: How good is Anthony Edwards, actually? We know he's one of the best players in the league, but is there a chance he's... The best?
Edwards is reaching yet another level in these playoffs
We know that Ant has gone on record expressing his disdain for the "face of the league" conversations, even if his comments were a bit tongue-in-cheek. But what we are seeing is that his action speak louder than his words.
In the first half, we saw Edwards rough up LeBron James and throw a few shoves his way. Without a word being spoken, it was clear that Ant was sending something of a message on behalf of his team. "Just letting him know that we're here," Edwards said. "You ain't just gonna push us around all night."
Between last year's playoffs and this year, it has become clear that Edwards enjoys these moments more than anything. More than that, he's going to take every opportunity to embrace the challenge and throw some competitive shots at the opposition. We saw it when he was grinning in Kevin Durant's face last April, and when he made the now-iconic hand gesture at Luka Doncic back in Game 1.
The point here is, whether he admits it or not, Edwards wants to dominate his opponents on the biggest stage and he wants to let them know it. That sure sounds like a "face of the league" to me. And when it comes to his on-court production, there's no lack of evidence either.
If a non-basketball fan had watched this series as their first taste of NBA basketball, it would be very hard to try to explain to them that Luka Doncic or LeBron James is a better player than Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves' star has completely stolen the spotlight from the stars of LA, and he is entering the conversation of the very best players in the association right in front of our eyes.