If you were told during the regular season that the LA Lakers would be struggling to keep pace in the playoffs, you would have passed it off as a joke. A team that has LeBron, Luka, and Reaves shouldn’t just be winning but hammering anyone who comes their way. Not the Wolves, though. The Minnesota Timberwolves had again taken a 2-1 lead in their series against the Lakers. A hard-fought victory, with both teams having their moments, but the better team of the day took it home. But when it came down to it, LeBron James‘ near 40-point hustle was outshone. Not by Anthony Edwards, but an important stakeholder who chose to turn it to their way. No, tonight the real difference-maker wasn’t a player, a GM, a coach, or anyone on the court at all. It was the crowd! And boy, did Ant repay them with an instantly iconic moment.
Only one word can do justice to the atmosphere inside the Target Center in game 3 — electric! The Minneapolis crowd ate up everything the T-Wolves players did. After the game, Anthony Edwards revealed that this was a first for him. He’d never seen a crowd this excited and raucous. In fact, it ended up causing some issues for Ant-Man.
“That was fun. I’m not gonna lie, man…It was so loud in there today. Like, when we hit I when Ju got his first basket, it was so loud in there. Like, I couldn’t hear the play. I couldn’t hear what play we was in, I couldn’t hear Rudy saying screen left set. I couldn’t hear nothing. Like it was so loud in there. That was probably the most fun I’ve had in Target Center for sure,” said Edwards about tonight’s crowd going all loud in the game against the Lakers.
The Minnesota faithful cheered for everything their team did. Be it a bucket, a steal, or a block, they stuck with their team. And the noisy crowd only got louder as the T-Wolves wrapped up the game. Not being able to hear your teammates because the home crowd is supporting you too loudly is a privilege problem to have, if you ask us. And it wasn’t just Ant who loved the crowd’s energy.
Nov 7, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts after scoring against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Naz Reid also loved their fervor as he called them the “real 6th man” of the evening. He’s not wrong! Meanwhile, Jaden McDaniels, who was incredible tonight, compared it to the crowds in their previous outings. “It felt like a Playoff atmosphere. I mean, it was better than the Lakers crowd for sure,” said McDaniels. Ouch, that’s a nasty dig. But no complaints, even the King and Co. will acknowledge the crowd in LA seemed dull for an average NBA playoff game. Worse, the Crypto.com Arena seemed empty compared to the hell raised by the fans at the Target Center tonight.
Clearly, the players fed off the incredible energy on display from the fans. And perhaps it was to feed the passionate crowd or maybe to thank them, but Anthony Edwards put Luka Doncic on a poster tonight!
Anthony Edwards creates a highlight reel moment with thunderous dunk on Luka Doncic
Despite only being 23, it feels like we’ve been seeing Anthony Edwards helping the Wolves since forever. The Ant-Man is one of the most fun players to watch in the NBA, bar none. And tonight, late in the third quarter, he showed the fervent fans at the Target Center that he can even put the best players in the world on a poster.
Granted, Luka Doncic was suffering from a stomach bug. But don’t let that take anything away from the monstrous dunk that Ant unleashed on the Slovenian. Here’s what happened. Jaden McDaniels shot a corner three and missed. Luka Doncic then grabbed an uncontested defensive rebound. However, his pass to Austin Reaves was uncharacteristically sloppy, and Ant-Man stole the ball.
After resetting, Ant drove into the paint from the wing before soaring into the air for a two-handed dunk. All Luka could do was watch helplessly. So, summing up, not only did Anthony Edwards steal the ball off Luka Doncic, he also posterized him for the world to see. Now, after the game, Ant himself called the dunk “terrible.” But don’t be fooled. Had it truly been terrible, would the NBA post a slo-mo version of that dunk on their Instagram account? Probably not.
All in all, tonight was a great showing for Minnesota — its players, coach, and even their fans. But the job is far from over. They must host the Lakers once more on Sunday in Game 4. And rest assured, Luka Doncic and LeBron James will be back, seeking vengeance. Every turn this series takes is proving to be riveting, and we can’t wait for Game 4!
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