{"id":137302,"date":"2025-05-02T10:39:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T14:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=137302"},"modified":"2025-05-02T10:39:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T14:39:11","slug":"anthony-edwards-dances-on-the-grave-of-the-lakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/02\/anthony-edwards-dances-on-the-grave-of-the-lakers\/","title":{"rendered":"Anthony Edwards Dances On The Grave Of The Lakers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/edwaran01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Edwards<\/a> didn\u2019t just beat the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/28\/lakers-must-draft-khaman-maluach-to-keep-luka-doncic-happy\/\" target=\"_self\">Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> \u2014 he celebrated every moment of it. After eliminating the third-seeded Lakers in five games, the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/03\/28\/the-timberwolves-have-a-lot-of-questions-this-summer\/\" target=\"_self\">Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a> star made sure to mock the bold predictions that favored L.A.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Anthony Edwards Dances On The Grave Of The Lakers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>Edwards Trolls Lakers Nation<\/h3>\n<p>The Timberwolves sealed the series with a 103-96 win on the Lakers\u2019 home court. Immediately afterward, Edwards walked into his press conference yelling, \u201cAnt-Man, Superman, Lakers in five.\u201d He repeated the phrase with a wide grin, turning the narrative on its head.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Dawg Anthony Edwards is WILD LMAOOO. <\/p>\n<p>Listen to him right after the Timberwolves eliminated the Lakers:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cANT-MAN, BATMAN, SUPERMAN\u2026LAKERS IN 5\u2026SH*T\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d<\/p>\n<p> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0jU98y7lNY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/0jU98y7lNY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Hater Report (@HaterReport_) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HaterReport_\/status\/1917898006172459370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 1, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Analysts and fans had expected the Lakers to dominate. Instead, Minnesota sent them home early. When asked about the victory, Edwards didn\u2019t hold back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey said Lakers in five,\u201d he <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.co.uk\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/44944858\/wolves-win-third-straight-eliminate-lakers-first-round\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a>. \u201cBut we won in five. That makes it feel ten times better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He emphasized how much the win meant, especially considering the opponent. \u201cWe beat the best player in the world, the best player ever,\u201d Edwards <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.co.uk\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/44944858\/wolves-win-third-straight-eliminate-lakers-first-round\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">added<\/a>, referring to <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LeBron James.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Betting Odds, Expectations, and Reality<\/h3>\n<p>Before the playoffs began, few gave the Timberwolves a real chance. ESPN BET ranked the Lakers with the fourth-best odds to win the title (+1300), while Minnesota sat at ninth (+4000). Most experts expected the Lakers to move on easily.<\/p>\n<p>But Edwards and the Timberwolves shattered that narrative. His performance throughout the series reminded everyone why he\u2019s one of the NBA\u2019s rising stars. Against the Lakers, Anthony Edwards averaged 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.<\/p>\n<h3>Timberwolves Make Franchise History<\/h3>\n<p>This series win marked a significant milestone for Minnesota. For the first time in franchise history, they\u2019ve won first-round series in back-to-back seasons. That\u2019s a meaningful sign of growth for a team that had long been seen as a playoff afterthought.<\/p>\n<p>The celebrations weren\u2019t limited to the court. Edwards and his crew were later seen walking through Los Angeles, still riding high from the win. Videos circulated online showing him soaking in the moment, clearly thrilled to have knocked off the Lakers.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Anthony Edwards takes a victory lap outside Crypto Arena after eliminating the Lakers<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey said \u2018Lakers in 5,\u2019 and when we was up 3-1, they said \u2018Lakers in 7.\u2019 Go to hell today\u2026 Good guys don\u2019t die in this movie, Morris Chestnut died in this movie\u201d \ud83d\ude05<\/p>\n<p> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pmkEInWPBK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/pmkEInWPBK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; FearBuck (@FearedBuck) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FearedBuck\/status\/1917860812649275434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 1, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Anthony Edwards rivalry with the Lakers may be young, but it&#8217;s already becoming unforgettable.<\/p>\n<h3>Keeping It in Perspective<\/h3>\n<p>Head coach Chris Finch will likely remind his players that this is only the beginning. The Timberwolves handled a flawed Lakers roster \u2014 a team devoid of a paint threat and shallow depth.<\/p>\n<p>The next round will pose greater challenges. Minnesota will face either the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/29\/warriors-guard-joins-elite-company-with-game-4-performance\/\" target=\"_self\">Golden State Warriors<\/a> or the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/30\/rockets-game-5-offseason\/\" target=\"_self\">Houston Rockets.<\/a> Both teams offer stronger defenses and more structured rosters than the Lakers.<\/p>\n<p>Still, this series served as a statement. The Timberwolves are not a team to overlook. And Edwards? He may be on his way to becoming the face of the league.<\/p>\n<h3>Anthony Edwards Emerges as a Superduperstar After Dominating Lakers?<\/h3>\n<p>The Timberwolves &#8211; Lakers series has catapulted Edwards into mainstream NBA stardom. His confidence, charisma, and performance under pressure drew comparisons to the greats like <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jordami01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Jordan<\/a>. More importantly, he showed he could be a great decision maker. He had just six turnovers in the series.<\/p>\n<p>He didn\u2019t just lead \u2014 he dominated. His ability to take over games has reshaped how fans and analysts see the Timberwolves\u2019 future. If Edwards continues this form, he could redefine the franchise.<\/p>\n<h3>The Last Word<\/h3>\n<p>The Timberwolves exposed every weakness in the Lakers&#8217; game plan. Their defense looked overwhelmed, their offense stale in the fourth quarter, and their bench nonexistent. In contrast, Minnesota looked fresher, faster, and hungrier.<\/p>\n<p>Anthony Edwards danced on the Lakers&#8217; playoff hopes. And if he keeps this up, the NBA may need to brace itself.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><label>Credit: <\/label>\u00a9 Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anthony Edwards didn\u2019t just beat the Los Angeles Lakers \u2014 he celebrated every moment of it. After eliminating the third-seeded Lakers in five games, the Minnesota Timberwolves star made sure to mock the bold predictions that favored L.A. Anthony Edwards Dances On The Grave Of The Lakers Edwards Trolls Lakers Nation The Timberwolves sealed the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":137305,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,26,21,3],"tags":[50041,2109,38],"class_list":["post-137302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-lakers","category-timberwolves","category-news","tag-2025-nba-playoffs","tag-anthony-edwards","tag-lebron-james"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137302"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137306,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137302\/revisions\/137306"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}