He didn't even need to ask for help on the action. There was about a minute left when Jaren Jackson Jr. was served in the post, facing Anthony Edwards. The first, heavier and larger, rammed his opponent. But the Wolves back resisted and the Grizzlies player narrowly missed his left hand hook.
Author of 33 points (11/23 on shots) and 13 rebounds, the Memphis interior finished with an evening in two stages: one before and one after Anthony Edwards. Since his teammates couldn't slow him down, the Minneapolis All-Star asked to take care of his case.
“ We couldn't stop him. So I said… 'Maybe I can try' », Reports the fullback, who took over in the third quarter. “ He was the one who asked for it, in fact he asked for it earlier in the match “, says Chris Finchaccording to whom his star’s efforts set the tone: “ He took care of this duel, shut it down and changed the course of the game on both ends of the court. »
Anthony Edwards started guarding Jaren Jackson Jr. midway through the 3Q when JJJ was sitting on 27 points.
Ant guarded JJJ for the rest of the game and held him to 6 points, while scoring 19 of his own. Minnesota won those minutes by 15.
— Jack Borman (@jrborman13) February 29, 2024
In addition to pure shot contesting, we saw him, from the third quarter, flex his muscles to contest dribbling starts or positioning. “JJJ” found himself less comfortable facing a player whom he perhaps dominated in size, but not necessarily in power. Also, as Jaden McDaniels points out, the two All-Stars played together in the American selection. “ He already knew his game “, Jaden McDaniels judgesnicknamed “seat belt”, who has not yet found Ant' a nickname for his impact in defense.
A message sent “to the damn voters”
For his part, Chris Finch notes that he wanted to send “ the maximum number of players possible » on the inside opposite, biggest threat within a very diminished Memphis formation.
Not resorting to Anthony Edwards sooner? “ We have a lot of guys that can really defend on the ball carrier, so it depends on the situation. I'm probably not going to start the match with this duel because of the risk of mistakes, of putting my arms too much, so it depends on the matches. »
Author of 34 points (11/21 on shots), the hero of the evening could boast in the locker room after the match. Thinking about possible defensive distinctions, he thus recommends, “ these damn voters, whoever they are », to watch Wolves matches more often.
“ Because it's not the first time I've done this. I have nights like this all the time where someone catches fire and I smother them for the rest of the match. No one sees it except you. This is to be taken into account for my votes on the All-Defensive team. But no one sees itt,” laments Anthony Edwards.
This night, it showed.
| Anthony Edwards | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | MIN | 72 | 32 | 41.7 | 32.9 | 77.6 | 0.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 19.3 |
| 2021-22 | MIN | 72 | 34 | 44.1 | 35.7 | 78.6 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 21.3 |
| 2022-23 | MIN | 79 | 36 | 45.9 | 36.9 | 75.6 | 0.6 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 24.6 |
| 2023-24 | MIN | 55 | 35 | 46.8 | 38.4 | 83.5 | 0.6 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 26.5 |
| Total | 278 | 34 | 44.6 | 35.8 | 78.8 | 0.7 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 22.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
