{"id":68942,"date":"2024-03-19T07:12:11","date_gmt":"2024-03-19T11:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=68942"},"modified":"2024-03-19T07:12:11","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T11:12:11","slug":"timberwolves-react-anthony-edwards-dunk-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/19\/timberwolves-react-anthony-edwards-dunk-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Timberwolves React to Franchise Player\u2019s Dunk of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Facing the Utah Jazz for the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/17\/timberwolves-anthony-edwards-breaks-longstanding-franchise-record\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">second straight game<\/a> on Monday, Minnesota Timberwolves star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/edwaran01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Edwards<\/a> had the dunk of the night. Maybe even the year.<\/p>\n<h2>Timberwolves React to Anthony Edwards\u2019 Dunk of the Year<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s the play.<\/p>\n<p>Corralling a loose ball after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/alexani01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nickeil Alexander-Walker<\/a> forced Jazz rookie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/georgke01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Keyonte George<\/a> into a turnover, Edwards passed the ball ahead to Alexander-Walker before crossing halfcourt. With Edwards filling the lane in transition, Alexander-Walker passed the ball back to the two-time All-Star. As he launched himself from the key, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/collijo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John Collins<\/a>\u00a0found himself in-between Edwards and the rim. Reaching his arm back for the tomahawk slam, Edwards powered through Collins for the poster slam.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">ANTHONY EDWARDS OMG \ud83d\ude31\ud83e\udd2f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AJP27GCkxG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/AJP27GCkxG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BleacherReport\/status\/1769915314639085733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 19, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In the pandemonium that followed, the most memorable reaction may have come from teammate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/anderky01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Anderson<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Kyle Anderson\u2019s face says it all. Anthony Edwards is not human. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SdrfyX2tOZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/SdrfyX2tOZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Felipe Alvarez (@FelipeFromMiami) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FelipeFromMiami\/status\/1769915349439332361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 19, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>The Man of the Hour<\/h3>\n<p>Following the game Edwards was shown a video of the dunk. He was clearly a fan. In fact, the 22-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ChristopherHine\/status\/1769941861089554602?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">believes it was the best<\/a> of his career.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Anthony Edwards reacting to a replay of the dunk <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yEfQYXVfy0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/yEfQYXVfy0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChristopherHine\/status\/1769926333596115203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 19, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;H*** yeah,&#8221; Edwards says, per the Star Tribune\u2019s Chris Hines. &#8220;What you think? Hell yeah. That was better than the Toronto one, hell yeah. Because the Toronto one, everybody expected me to dunk on him. This one was crazy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>(Here\u2019s a video of <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PlayBUSR\/status\/1362977702521802753?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">his poster dunk<\/a> against the Toronto Raptors, for reference and for posterity.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A closer replay showed that Edwards had barely made it to the rim, his forward momentum impeded by Collins. The Georgia native ended up dislocating his finger on the play, so he did make it there. But just barely.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I was thinking I was gonna miss it because I wasn\u2019t close to the rim, but somehow God willed it in for me.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Dunk of the year? \ud83e\udd14<\/p>\n<p>Peep all angles of Anthony Edwards&#8217; POSTER \ud83d\udca5 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PWvBFuQeOx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/PWvBFuQeOx<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/of7LJmNWoP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/of7LJmNWoP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NBA (@NBA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBA\/status\/1769922824037102069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 19, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It gives me chills, man,&#8221; Edwards continues.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the type of play that gets fans out of their seats. More than that, it\u2019s the type of play that makes fans out of kids and adults alike. Indeed, in discussing what the dunk meant to him, Edwards recalled the posters that he saw in his childhood.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;\u2026 I always dreamed of dunking on somebody like that and watching <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/cartevi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vince Carter<\/a> jump over somebody or like watching [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mcgratr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tracy McGrady<\/a>],&#8221; Edwards says. I always dreamed of dunking on somebody like that and that was like my favorite one of all time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>The Man Behind the Curtain<\/h3>\n<p>Alexander-Walker, who made the pass, doesn\u2019t believe fans fully grasp how difficult Edwards\u2019 dunk was.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I don\u2019t think people honestly understand what they\u2019ve just seen,\u201d he says. &#8220;&#8230;Walk to a free-throw line, take a step and just try to grab the mesh and then you\u2019ll understand what the h*** he just did. That was probably the craziest thing I\u2019ve ever witnessed by far.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I\u2019m gonna tell my kids [that] I passed it,&#8221; he continues. &#8220;That\u2019s my assist. I can really be like, \u2018Oh I was about to shoot it, but I turned it down.\u2019 \u2026 What he did, bro, he got me going&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>It got Edwards going too. Up to that point he had <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/statmuse\/status\/1769926833993097727?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">only scored nine points<\/a> against the Jazz. He scored 23 points after his dunk, which took place with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.<\/p>\n<h3>The Elder Statesman<\/h3>\n<p>Outside of Edward\u2019s own reaction, elder statesman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/conlemi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Conley<\/a> may have had the best quote regarding the play. Taking a big picture view of that poster, Conley breaks down what makes Edwards an excellent finisher.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The things he can do, above the rim, below the rim, his strength as a basketball player,&#8221; he begins. &#8220;When you see him jump like that, a lot of people don&#8217;t continue to go higher. They don&#8217;t continue to go forward. They get bumped and they kind of push back.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s like a cat almost,&#8221; considers Conley. &#8220;He keeps going forward [and] lands on his feet. Stuff like that is what makes him who he is and why he can maneuver in the game how he does.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As impressed by Edwards returning to the court after dislocating his finger on the play as he was with the dunk, Conley continues to praise the Timberwolves\u2019 franchise player, saying, &#8220;that&#8217;s what a leader does, man.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;He won me over again tonight not just the dunk, but dislocating his finger, going back there taping it up, finishing the game how he did. Those are stories I&#8217;ll be telling people when I&#8217;m old and gray.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s putting his <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/08\/timberwolves-star-anthony-edwards-scores-44-points-seals-win-against-pacers-with-last-second-block\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">team on his back<\/a>,&#8221; Conley says. &#8220;He&#8217;s putting us first\u2026 putting his health aside and saying hey, it&#8217;s an important stretch for us. We need to get these wins. We need to get some confidence building up into the playoffs. Just get more and more respect.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m his biggest fan,&#8221; the 36-year-old professes.<\/p>\n<p>Conley isn\u2019t the only one making that claim. Especially after last night.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Facing the Utah Jazz for the second straight game on Monday, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards had the dunk of the night. Maybe even the year. Timberwolves React to Anthony Edwards\u2019 Dunk of the Year Here\u2019s the play. Corralling a loose ball after Nickeil Alexander-Walker forced Jazz rookie Keyonte George into a turnover, Edwards passed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":68951,"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":[21,1608,62,3],"tags":[2109,998,208,947],"class_list":["post-68942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-timberwolves","category-basketball","category-nba","category-news","tag-anthony-edwards","tag-john-collins","tag-mike-conley","tag-nickeil-alexander-walker"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68942","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\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68942"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68942\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}