SALT LAKE CITY — A thunderous dunk provided the perfect snapshot of Anthony Edwards’ second-half dominance Monday night.
Edwards threw a monster shot at Utah Jazz teammate John Collins in the third quarter, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 114-104 win but causing the two players to clash after the game.
“I thought I was going to miss it because I wasn’t close to the rim, but somehow God let me,” said Edwards, who scored 25 of his 32 points after the break.
The play immediately went viral on social media. Timberwolves veteran point guard Mike Conley said it might be the best dunk he’s ever witnessed in person.
“It’s almost like a cat,” Conley said. “He keeps moving forward and landing on his feet. Things like that can drive who he is and why he does what he does in the game.”
Edwards said he grew up idolizing players like Vince Carter, who were known for their dribbling skills, and it’s always been a goal for him to hide the way they do.
His outburst on Monday certainly put him in that category.
“Man, it gives me chills, because I’ve always had to rub it against someone like that,” Edwards said.
Collins and Edwards were both injured on the play.
After his hand collided with Collins’ cheek, Edwards dislodged his left ring finger. In the next timeout, he ran to the locker room, put his finger back in place, got dressed and returned to action.
Collins was ruled out of the game for the fourth quarter. The injury was later confirmed to be a concussion.
Edwards’ dunk gave a shorthanded Minnesota team an emotional boost at a crucial time. The Timberwolves lost Nazz Reed to a head injury in the first half, and previously injured Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns were out.
“Man, it gives me chills, because I’ve always dreamed of dancing on someone like that.”
Anthony Edwards
“It energizes everybody,” Edwards said. “Everybody wants to defend, wants to get stops. It makes the game more fun.”
Edwards totaled 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 38 minutes. His relentless energy on both ends of the court kept the Jazz on their heels in the second half.
“He is who he is,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “He’s a star player. He’s a hell of a player.”
Edwards has had three consecutive 30-point games. He shot 58% from the field and averaged 31.5 points in back-to-back wins over Utah.
“He’s always a guy that can really turn a game around,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He knows when to step it up. He knows when to make the big play. Sometimes he can do it out of nothing. But now he’s more polished in what he’s doing. A little more composed, less rushed.”