Kyrie Irving spoke after the Mavericks’ surprising Game 1 win over the Timberwolves about Anthony Edwards saying he wanted to guard him before the series started. Kyrie noted that he used it as motivation, but also showed love and respect to Anthony Edwards for being competitive and expected him to be better in Game 2.
Kyrie: “I use it as motivation. When I was sitting at home and I saw it, (I thought) ‘this is a nod of respect’. And also, I knew what type of game it was going to be. Game 1, and for us, the rest of this series. So, you’re right, I was at home with my family, watching Game 7. Then Ant comes out and says ‘I got Kyrie’ but also that’s a no-fear mentality and that’s why we love Ant. So coming out tonight, I knew that he was going to pressure me a little bit. But I knew that they were coming off a Game 7, a grueling Game 7 so their legs were biting them a little bit tonight, so hopefully Game 2 they come back and settle a little bit more but we’ll be prepared.”
Kyrie Irving on Anthony Edwards saying he’d defend Kyrie:
"I used it as motivation…That's a no-fear mentality, and that's why we love Ant."
(via @NBAonTNT)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 23, 2024
Kyrie Irving was solid for the Mavericks tonight, with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. He was able to take the challenge of Anthony Edwards guarding him and still put up solid numbers. For Irving, it was his opportunity as the wily veteran to show the young Edwards that he still has a long way to go in the NBA.
Edwards on the other hand, had a poor game not just defensively, but offensively as well. He scored 19 points, making just 6 of his 16 field goals. It was an off night for the former first-overall pick in the 2020 draft. He will have to improve significantly in Game 2 if the Timberwolves stand a chance at winning this series.
Anthony Edwards Is The Key For The Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards had a similarly poor game from an efficiency standpoint to the one he had in Game 7 against the Nuggets. In his last two playoff games, Edwards has shot 37.5% and 25% from the field respectively. While he came up big in the Nuggets game to seal the win for his team, tonight against the Mavericks was an entirely different story.
Anthony Edwards had mentioned how he was looking forward to playing against Kyrie Irving prior to the Western Conference Finals beginning. However, tonight, he didn’t enjoy himself nearly as much as he thought he would have. With Game 2 coming up this weekend, Edwards will be hoping to back up his words and play some stifling defense on Kyrie Irving in this series.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd spoke about how he was impressed by Anthony Edwards’ playoff run so far. And with Ant averaging 28.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, it should come as no surprise that he has caught the eye of some of the most prominent figures in the NBA. If he can recover his form in the playoffs, the Timberwolves will be a threat going forward, and could even make the NBA Finals.
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