Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards sees playoff wish granted after knocking out Lakers
Context:
The Minnesota Timberwolves, led by Anthony Edwards, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games to advance to the Conference Semi-Finals, where they will face the Golden State Warriors. Edwards, who has expressed a desire to compete against the Warriors and their outspoken player Draymond Green, averaged impressive stats during the regular season matchups, which Minnesota won 3-1. This playoff series marks the first time the Timberwolves and Warriors will meet in the postseason. Edwards, born in 2001, grew up watching the Warriors' dominance in the NBA and now has the opportunity to challenge the team he admired in his youth. His motivation is fueled by the chance to face a team whose success he witnessed as a teenager, making this series particularly meaningful for him.
Dive Deeper:
The Minnesota Timberwolves reached the second round of the playoffs after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in a five-game series, securing their place in the Conference Semi-Finals for a consecutive year.
Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves' star player, expressed eagerness to advance further in the playoffs and specifically wanted to face the Golden State Warriors, known for their high-profile players and competitive spirit.
During the regular season, the Timberwolves faced the Warriors four times, winning three of those matchups, with Edwards averaging 26 points, six rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game, shooting 43% from beyond the arc.
The upcoming series marks the first-ever playoff meeting between the Timberwolves and the Warriors, adding an element of novelty and anticipation to the matchup.
Edwards, having grown up during the Warriors' rise to NBA prominence in the 2010s, brings additional motivation to the series, as he now has the chance to compete against a team he admired during his formative years.
Draymond Green of the Warriors, known for his outspoken nature and trash-talking, has been cited by Edwards as an additional motivating factor for wanting to face the Warriors in the playoffs.
Edwards' playoff ambitions and his desire to challenge the Warriors highlight the significance of this matchup, both personally for him and for the Timberwolves as a team.
The Minnesota Timberwolves will tip-off with Game 1 of the Conference Semi-Finals on Tuesday. After defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in five games, Minnesota reaches the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. This time around, they will face the Golden State Warriors. Last postseason, they defeated the Denver Nuggets in six games to advance to the Conference Finals.
Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards did an interview prior to the season, where he shared what he was looking forward to the most
"Definitely going back to the playoffs and going further in the playoffs. I wanna play the Warriors. I wanna get to the Warriors. Wherever they're at, I wanna get to them," Edwards responded.
Edwards also added another reason he wanted to play Golden State is because 'Draymond talks so much trash." Along with his podcast, Warriors forward Draymond Green is widely known for his outlandish takes and trash talk.
The Warriors and Timberwolves have never met in the playoffs prior to this upcoming series. During the regular season, they faced each other four times. Minnesota was able to win the regular season series 3-1. In those four match-ups, Edwards averaged 26 points, six rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. He also shot 43% from beyond the arc in those games as well.
Since Edwards was born in 2001, he was a teenager when the Warriors began their dominance in the 2010's beginning with their NBA Finals win in 2015. This means, he grew up watching both Green and Stephen Curry dominate the league prior to him joining in the 2020 NBA Draft. Getting his first opportunity to face the franchise he grew up seeing take over the league probably adds some extra motivation to this series.
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