Anthony Edwards to Charles Barkley on returning to Minnesota for Western Conference Finals: 'Bring ya ass'
The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off a heroic 20-point comeback to defeat the Denver Nuggets on the road in a 98-90 Game 7 victory on Sunday night. Eliminating the defending NBA champions from the playoffs and advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2004.
The Timberwolves could not have done it without their young superstar Anthony Edwards, who struggled in Game 7, but stepped up when it mattered most in the fourth quarter and got a tremendous lift from his supporting cast.
After the game, Edwards spoke with TNT’s Inside the NBA crew. Providing a hilarious message for Charles Barkley when he spoke about his upcoming visit to Minnesota, a place that Chuck has not visited in quite some time but will now reunite with for the Western Conference Finals.
“Bring ya ass,” Edwards said interrupting Barkley as soon as he said he hasn’t been in Minnesota in probably 20 years.
Edwards’ three words got a good laugh out of the remainder of TNT’s crew, and likely many audience members as he continues to become not just one of the NBA’s fastest-rising stars. But one of the association’s fastest-rising beloved personalities as well.
Due to Barkley’s lack of time spent in Minnesota lately, he’d go on to ask Edwards for a list of good restaurants to eat at while he visits the Twin Cities. Which Edwards agreed to make happen following the game.
Edwards had just 16 points on the night, his lowest output of the series and his most inefficient making just 6 of his 24 shot attempts. But he did stuff the stat sheet with eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals, managing to still average 27.7 points per game for the series in a breakout playoff moment for the 22-year-old.
Karl Anthony-Towns and Jaden McDaniels led the offensive charge for the Timberwolves amid Edwards’ shooting struggles on the night. Each scoring 23 points apiece while Anthony-Towns also led Minnesota with 12 rebounds to record his sixth double-double of the playoffs.
“It was tough, man, because I couldn’t find myself, my rhythm tonight,” Edwards said after the game. “So I just had to trust my teammates … I just had to make the right plays throughout the rest of the game. I did that and my teammates made shots. Big shout-out to those guys.”
The Timberwolves are now set to take on the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, an exciting series that tips off on Wednesday in Minneapolis at 8:30 p.m. ET and airs on TNT.