Anthony Edwards throws down dunk of the year contender in Minnesota Timberwolves win over Utah Jazz - KTVZ

In Minneapolis, there’s a certain magnetism about him. Every time the ball leaves his fingertips and sinks into the net, Anthony Edwards ignites, and you can’t help but be drawn in.

The fans at Target Center know this feeling well. His teammates and coaches do too. But perhaps the true test of Edwards’ gravitational pull came late in the third quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ dominant 120-95 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs.

Edwards had already been on fire. Step-backs, turnaround jumpers, and three-pointers from deep — he’d attempted them all, and most had found their mark. The flames were necessary. The head-shaking had already begun.

Then, with just 47.7 seconds left in the third quarter, Edwards drifted to the left wing, stopped, and launched a three-pointer with Kevin Durant extending his arm to contest.

As the ball left his hands and dropped through the net, Edwards erupted. Even Durant seemed captivated. Though Durant tried to look away, his eyes darting upwards towards the rafters, Edwards locked eyes with him, barked, and pounded his chest. Durant couldn’t evade him for long. He met Edwards’ gaze and flashed a wide smile.

Even the 14-time NBA All-Star couldn’t resist Edwards’ charisma.

“Well, I think everybody knows that’s my favorite player of all time,” Edwards said. “So that was probably one of the best feelings ever in my whole life, for sure.”

Durant described the exchange as simply “hoop.”

“When you get hot, you make tough shots, you’re going to feel excited about yourself,” Durant said. “He got it going.”

But it wasn’t just about the shots. It was about the reaction. It was about a basketball enthusiast mesmerized by a combination of competitiveness and flair. It was about a superstar acknowledging another, tipping his cap proverbially. And it was all happening organically in a pivotal Game 1 against a team that had aimed to stifle him.

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Coach Chris Finch and veteran guard Mike Conley spoke proudly of Edwards’ performance, suggesting that Game 1 crystallized his year-over-year growth.

“We talked a lot about our mental state in these playoff games,” Conley said. “He turned it over a few times. Maybe in the past, he gets a little angry, gets a tech.”

Indeed, Phoenix had flustered Edwards for as long as possible, causing him to turn the ball over four times in the first half. But Edwards’ resilience shone through, and he rose to the occasion when it mattered most.

This performance wasn’t just another playoff barrage for Edwards; it was a statement against a team that had previously limited him. It set the tone, it set expectations, and it left Wolves fans feeling hopeful for the future. And at the heart of it all was Edwards, making everyone smile.