NBA fans laud Anthony Edwards’ clutch pyrotechnics as T-Wolves bag Game 3

Anthony Edwards rose to the occasion in crunch time Friday night, leading the Timberwolves to a 2-1 series edge with a 116-104 win in their first home playoff game at Target Center.

LeBron James looked like he was ready to take over for the Lakers in the clutch, hitting three straight 3s, but Edwards’ scoring and passing shut down LA’s rally. He answered with a 3 of his own to extend the lead, then followed it up with back-to-back buckets and an assist to Jaden McDaniels for a dagger triple to put it away.

Fans on X (formerly Twitter) were blown away by how Edwards responded to LeBron’s run.

“He straight dusted Lebron. Is this the passing of the torch?” one said.

“When the moment called for a hero, Edwards answered with ice in his veins,” another said.

“We got LeBron vs Jordan (Ant) finally,” another commented

Anthony Edwards filled the stat sheet with 29 points, eight boards and eight assists, coming through again and again when the Timberwolves needed him most.

Still, James was dominant in his own right, dropping 38 points on 13-for-21 shooting while pulling in 10 rebounds and swatting two shots at age 40.

Here are more reactions giving Edwards his flowers.

“ANT MAN CLUTCH THIS YEAR. TIMBERWOLVES IN 5. LAKERS ARE OVER OFF TO CANCUN. ANT MAN TWOLVES WINNING THIS SERIES,” one fan said.

“Bro really stepped up as a playmaker today 😅🔥,” another said.

“Anthony Edwards wants to prove he is the new face of the NBA,” another added.

Anthony Edwards joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in rare playoff stat feat with zero free throws

Anthony Edwards made playoff history Friday night by putting up big numbers — all without a single trip to the line.

Edwards finished with 29 points on 12-for-26 shooting, including 5-for-10 from beyond the arc, and didn’t attempt a single free throw.

Per Real Sports, that made him just the second player in playoff history to post those stats without a single free throw — the first was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Edwards wasn’t alone, as Jaden McDaniels erupted for a career-high 30 points on 13-for-22 shooting to back him up. Julius Randle also turned in a solid effort, scoring 22 and grabbing five rebounds, while Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo added 11 and 10 off the bench.

Game 4 stays in Minnesota, with tip-off set for Sunday.

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John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant’s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson’s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro