Anthony Edwards Embraces Rivalry With Nuggets Ahead Of Playoff Rematch

As the NBA play-in tournament heads into the second night of action, the top six teams of each conference are gearing up for their opening playoff game this weekend.

For Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, he faces a familiar opponent in the first round: the Denver Nuggets. Despite beating them in the Western Conference Semifinals last year, Edwards paid respect to his old opponent and recognized them as their biggest rivals.

“Yeah, for sure,” said Edwards, via Dane Moore. “I don’t think there’s anything else to call it but a rivalry. I think there’s a lot of rivalries in the league now, and I think me and Denver is one of them.”

Team rivalries are largely considered a dying tradition in the NBA, but Edwards disagrees. While there may be nothing that holds up against the iconic Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry of old, you can still argue for the existence of several rivalries, including the Spurs vs. Thunder, Knicks vs. Pacers, and (of course) the Lakers vs. Clippers. Based on his criteria, the Timberwolves and Nuggets certainly qualify as a rivalry, especially given their recent clashes in the regular season and playoffs.

Edwards, 24, has met the Nuggets three straight times in the playoffs, dating back to 2023 (the same year that Denver won the title). After losing that initial series, he has since avenged the Timberwolves by leading them to victory in the next two matchups. Now, they are poised to meet again, and this may be their most intense fighting yet.

In anticipation of what was to come, Edwards says he felt his team coasting through the season, seemingly going through the motions as they thought about the future. Now that the moment has finally arrived, the Timberwolves must hold nothing back, as there’s no excuse for failure.

“Yeah, it felt like that at times, like we were just trying to get through the season to get to the playoffs,” added Edwards. “But we’re here now, and all the other excuses are out the window. So it’s time.”

With averages of 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 48.9% shooting and 39.9% shooting from three, there is no question that Edwards has the talent to lead the Timberwolves to victory in the series, even against MVP candidate and former NBA champion Nikola Jokic. The biggest question is how he’ll work with his teammates on the court, with Rudy Gobert in particular standing out as a major factor.

“I feel like every series we’ve been in when I play with Rudy, they’re like daring us to throw it to him,” said Edwards. “So just getting comfortable throwing that lob and him getting to the dunker and allowing me to go by my man. Just learning that lob, how to throw it, and how much touch to put on the pass. I’m not a traditional point guard, so I’m trying to figure that out with him. I think that’s the main thing, but we’ve been working on it.”

At 49-33 (sixth in the West), the Timberwolves will be playing at a disadvantage, with no home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. But for a team that’s been “plotting” to beat the Nuggets for years now, drawing them in the first round may be a lucky break. If they can just build off that momentum and carry what they learned into this postseason, it could be enough to beat Denver yet again and make another push for the NBA Finals.

For their part, the Nuggets are not taking their competition lightly. They are ready for a brutal fight, but it remains to be seen if they can come out on top. The Timberwolves’ speed, strength, and athleticism will be hard to match, not to mention Edwards’ impact as a shooter and isolation scorer. The Nuggets will need to use every advantage they can to win this series, and we can expect some desperation to kick in as they look to avoid defeat to the same team for the third straight year.

Ultimately, before Minnesota can think about surpassing their previous Conference Finals runs, they must first focus on facing the enemy in front of them, who arguably poses the biggest threat of all. With averages of 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 56.9% shooting and 38.0% shooting from three this season, containing Jokic will be hard enough, but Edwards has no doubt he can lead his team to glory.