Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards‘ parting words after Minnesota’s 98-90 win in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal series with the the Denver Nuggets described his defense against Nuggets star Jamal Murray.
“I had Jamal in handcuffs,” Edwards told reporters as he left Denver’s Ball Arena after eliminating the defending champions.
Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards: “I had Jamal in handcuffs.”
Edwards, 22, has elevated into stardom during these playoffs not only because of his terrific play on the court but also his no-filter interviews, showcasing his larger-than-life personality and passion for the game.
During the Game 6 post-game press conference, Edwards delivered one of the postseason’s most memorable lines when he confirmed to reporters that he’d told a Nuggets locker room staff that he would be returning to Denver for Game 7 after losing Game 5 in the same building.
“Hell, yeah,” Edwards said. “They know, you were all in there. Yeah, I told him I see you all [expletive] in Game 7.”
Anthony Edwards Gives Defensive Master Class Against Jamal Murray
Even though Murray finished the game with 35 points, he shot only 13-of-27 from the field and 4-of-12 from the 3-point line. And 24 of those points were in the first half when the Nuggets built up a 15-point lead.
Once the Nuggets’ lead ballooned to 20 points, Edwards took it upon himself to guard Murray the rest of the way.
Edwards, who has used the playoffs to introduce himself to a wider audience as a two-way star, put on a defensive master class by playing lockdown defense on Murray in the second half.
Edwards also provided the most important defensive play of the evening when he pickpocketed Murray at midcourt, leading to a layup and a step-back trey to get the Wolves within one point, 67-66, at the end of the third quarter.
“Once we really lock in on the defensive end — because offensively we played OK — but when we really lock in on the defensive end, man, we are a hell of a team to beat,” Edwards said in his postgame press conference.
Antman Praised Teammates for Stepping Up in Game 7
Edwards had the worst shooting night in this series, recording 16 points on 6-for-24 shooting and 2-for-10 from beyond the arc.
Despite Edwards’ shooting struggles, the Wolves put themselves in a position to steal the game behind terrific plays from Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid.
The Wolves shooting guard acknowledged the team effort and praised his teammates for stepping up in the crucial moments.
“It was tough because I couldn’t find myself or my rhythm tonight,” Edwards told reporters during Game 7 post-game press conference. “So I just had to trust my teammates… I just had to make the right plays throughout the rest of the game. I did that, and my teammates made shots. Big shout-out to those guys.”
Towns racked up 23 points and 12 rebounds and McDaniels chipped in 23 points while playing excellent defense on the Nuggets wing players.
Reid, the Sixth Man of the Year winner, also boosted the Wolves off the bench with his 11 points on a 4-for-7 clip.
Edwards and the Wolves will host the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on May 22 at Target Center in Minneapolis.
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Anthony Edwards Says He Had Jamal Murray ‘in Handcuffs’ in Game 7