Tuesday’s double-overtime game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets was an instant classic. Both teams were missing key pieces, but the game had a playoff feel, with the Wolves edging out the Nuggets 140-139 as time expired in OT.
Flip the page to Wednesday, and First Take wasted no time talking about the contest from the night before.
Stephen A. Smith was more than giddy talking about Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards.
Ant-Man is one of the greatest shows in basketball and I’m going to encourage the NBA and everybody involved to continue to watch this brother and put this brother on national television because he is something to behold, Smith said on his ESPN show.
The praise didn’t stop there as Stephen A. Smith made a comparison that a few others have made the last couple of years.
I’m just watching his game and it’s Jordan-esque. You understand what I’m saying. He shows up when it counts. He’s one of those cats, if you’re watching it on TV you’re looking at your clock, game is winding down, he’s going to respond at some point. This is what he does.
In a game where Nikola Jokic had 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, Stephen A. wanted to focus on Ant-Man.
Edwards was brilliant in his own right, posting 34 points, most of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime. Edwards also showed a willingness to distribute the rock late on multiple possessions when the Nuggets blitzed him with a double team.
The Western Conference is chaos entering the final couple weeks of the regular season, and the Wolves hold onto the No. 7 seed. Despite that, Edwards is elevating into one of those players that you believe as long as he’s on the floor, Minnesota has a shot. Those types of players are rare and don’t come around often.
There are a lot of great players in the NBA. However, the list shrinks when you talk about the odds being stacked against you, but you still believe there’s a puncher’s chance to be had in your corner, all because of one player being that good.
Edwards is that good and has shown it on numerous occasions.
One thing all basketball fans should agree on is that, somehow, we should give Minnesota against Denver in the playoffs. It’s cinema. It’s everything the NBA should want to promote. It’s unpredictable. It’s greatness personified.
A lot of that is because of Anthony Edwards’ presence.
