Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves Set Their Sights on Stephen Curry and the Warriors
The NBA playoffs are heating up, and one of the most intriguing matchups of the Western Conference semifinals is set to tip off on Tuesday night. The Minnesota Timberwolves, led by young star Anthony Edwards, will host the Golden State Warriors, led by veteran superstar Stephen Curry, in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series.
According to a report from NBC Sports Bay Area, Edwards, also known as "Ant," is on a mission to take down the established elite of the NBA. Having already toppled Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, and LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, Edwards is now targeting Curry and the Warriors.
As NBC Sports Bay Area notes, Curry and Edwards won’t be assigned to each other, but their elevated status makes them the focus of the series. Whomever performs best puts his team in position to advance to the conference finals.
Curry, who has been in the league since Edwards was in elementary school, is aware of the challenge that Edwards poses. "Watched a little bit of their first round series," Curry said. "(Edwards) is playing with supreme confidence. We know they had their run last year, and their new look with (Julius) Randle. But it’s the same Ant, who’s trying to take strides and with every opportunity he gets. And it’s going to be a tough challenge, we know. We’re going to have to send multiple bodies at him and figure out a game plan to go at him."
As reported by NBC Sports Bay Area, Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who coached Edwards on Team USA’s gold-medal winning team in the 2024 Paris Olympics, is not surprised that Edwards targets the veterans. "No, not at all," Kerr said. "That’s the kind of confidence he has. The charisma. I watched him in Paris. Every day after practice, he and Kevin would go at it. LeBron and Steph. They’d have these shooting contests, and he’s right in the middle of it, talking all kinds of trash."
Kerr recalled that Edwards’ love for the game and competition is a big part of who he is. "It’s such a big part of who he is, his love for the game, his love for competition," Kerr said. "But it’s all in a really good, spirited way. There’s never anything malicious about the trash talk. He loves what he does, he loves to compete and the guys around him really enjoyed that the banter too, because it’s always in a humorous fashion."
As NBC Sports Bay Area reports, Edwards’ impressive play in the playoffs has been a key factor in the Timberwolves’ success. In dispatching the Lakers, Edwards averaged 26.8 points per game on 42 percent shooting from the field, including 33.3 percent from deep.
Kerr praised Edwards’ abilities, saying, "There’s a reason the Wolves are where they are now. They’ve done a great job as an organization, put together a really good roster. Chris (Finch) has done a fantastic job as coach. But they are where they are because Ant is a superstar. You have to have a guy like that to build a great team."
As reported by NBC Sports Bay Area, the Warriors, led by Curry in his 16th season, are looking to overcome the Timberwolves and advance to the conference finals. If the Timberwolves win the series, it will represent a changing of the guard, with Edwards and the young Timberwolves team emerging as the new force to be reckoned with.
The series is set to be an intense and closely contested one, with both teams looking to make a statement. As NBC Sports Bay Area notes, if the Warriors get the best of the Timberwolves, it will be a triumph for Curry, who will be able to hold high the flag that was taken from Durant and James.
In the end, Edwards’ goal is to become the "Steph Slayer," adding to his growing list of conquests. As NBC Sports Bay Area reports, let the hunt begin.
