SUMMARY
- Anthony Edwards erupted during the second half of the Suns vs Wolves clash in Game 4.
- The Wolves have swept the Suns to advance into the Western Conference Semifinals.
Anthony Edwards had a completely dominant presence during the second half of Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns. The Suns were last swept in the playoffs during the 1989 post-season in the Western Conference Finals. Edwards successfully led the Minnesota Timberwolves to their first sweep since 2004 to move into the second round of the playoffs. The 22-year-old knew only he could help the Wolves while they were trailing behind the Suns during the first half.
ANTHONY EDWARDS WITH A STATEMENT SLAM ON KD @PatBevPod pic.twitter.com/hLOOfFncFO
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 29, 2024
During the post-game interview, Edwards told Shaquille O’Neal, “I knew what was at stake. I came out like I got nine points. There’s no way we’re going to win this game if I don’t get myself on. I found a way to get myself going and put my team on my back. And we came out with a win.” Edwards only scored 9 points in the first half of the game. Somehow, he gathered himself together and erupted for 31 points in the second half.
Anthony Edwards dumps all the credit on Karl-Anthony Towns for an explosive second-quarter
While Anthony Edwards struggled during the first half, the Suns embraced the physicality that the Wolves heaved at their way. Offensively, they would not match what the Suns did but Karl-Anthony Towns had a few good looks from deep. He scored 10 points which included two made three-point field goals.
Edwards had all praise for Towns, he said, “It was KAT man. Like a lot of people think it was me the reason we won. Without KAT in that second half, we wouldn’t have been close to winning. So, big shout out to KAT man, he played his a** off tonight.” KAT, who was the No.1 overall pick in the same draft class as Devin Booker, finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists during the game.
Karl Anthony Towns tonight:
28 PTS
10 REB
3 AST
4-0Tore his meniscus a month ago came back early and dominated in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/ipaqtv91Jr
— 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐳𝐧 32🥷🏾 (@katszn_) April 29, 2024
Booker also had an exceptional night scoring 49 points paired along with 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and a block. He surpassed Charles Barkley and Walter Davis to assume the third spot on the Suns’ all-time playoff scoring list. Booker also ranks second to Davis for most regular season points scored in Suns history.
Shaquille O’Neal believes the Timberwolves have a shot at beating their second-round opponents
Shaquille O’Neal never failed to acknowledge the intensity Anthony Edwards brought onto the floor against the Suns. The LA Lakers legend had massive praise for Edwards and his team saying, “You know I love the way Ant showed respect by showing none. Kudos to the coaching staff, kudos to the player for buying in everyone knowing their roles. You know, me and Chuck, we were on KAT a lot for shooting a lot of these jumpers but he played a very efficient game tonight.”
O’Neal dished out a warning to the Western Conference teams saying, “This is a very complete team. They will most likely 95% play Denver in the next round and it would be a good test for him. But the way they play, the way they play together, they have a shot.” Right now, the Denver Nuggets leads in the first-round series 3-1 against LA. They also took a huge 3-0 lead before the Lakers defeated them in Game 4 to break an 11-game losing streak.