SALT LAKE CITY — A thunderous dunk provided the perfect snapshot of Anthony Edwards' second-half dominance on Monday night.
Edwards hit Utah Jazz player John Collins in the third quarter to help the Minnesota Timberwolves win 114-104, but he left the players angry after the play.
Edwards, who scored 25 of his 32 points after the end of the first half, said: “I was thinking that I would miss the ball because I was not close to the edge of the goal, but somehow God wanted me to miss it.”
The play instantly went viral on social media. Veteran Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley said it was probably the best dunk he's ever personally witnessed.
“He's almost like a cat,” Conley said. “He keeps moving forward and landing on his feet. Things like that are what make him who he is and why he can maneuver the game the way he does.”
Edwards said he grew up idolizing players like Vince Carter who were known for their dunking ability and that dunking the way they did was always a goal of his.
His title on Monday certainly puts him in that category.
“It gives me chills, because I always dreamed of dunking on someone like that,” Edwards said.
Both Collins and Edwards were injured on the play.
Edwards dislocated his left ring finger after his hand collided with Collins' cheekbone. He raced back to the locker room during a later timeout, put his finger back in place, taped it up and got back into the game.
Collins was ruled out for the entire fourth quarter while he was evaluated for a possible concussion. It was later confirmed that his injury was a head bruise.
Edwards' dunk gave Minnesota's shortstop an emotional boost during a critical stretch. The Timberwolves lost Naz Reid to a head injury in the first half, and were already playing without injured players Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.
“It gives me chills, man, because I've always dreamed of dunking on someone like that.”
Anthony Edwards
“It gives everyone energy,” Edwards said. “It makes everyone want to defend, want to stop the ball. It makes the game more exciting.”
Edwards also provided 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 38 minutes. His relentless energy on both ends of the court held the Jazz on their feet throughout the second half.
“This is who he is,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “He's an All-Star. He's one hell of a player.”
Edwards has had three straight 30-point games. He averaged 31.5 points in back-to-back wins over Utah on 58% shooting from the field.
“He's always been a guy who can turn the game around,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He knows when to elevate it. He knows when to make the big play. He can sometimes make it out of nothing. But now he's more polished with what he's doing. He's a little calmer, and he doesn't rush it as much.”
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