After the Minnesota Timberwolves wrapped up Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals, the man of the hour knew what was coming next. Anthony Edwards stole the show, demolishing Jamal Murray and causing the defending champion Denver Nuggets to crumble.
He was to face the Dallas Mavericks next, where Kyrie Irving has made his presence felt. Edwards challenged Irving, boasting that he would be on him and shut him down the way he did Murray in Game 7.
“I used it as motivation…I saw it, I was like, just a nod of respect. And then also I knew what type of game was gonna be, Game 1, and also for the rest of the series…I was at home with my family watching Game 7. But also, that's a no fear mentality, and that's why we love Ant.” – Kyrie Irving
While Game 1 did not go the way Edwards had hoped – he still made offensive history despite his lower scoring numbers. But in the end, Irving was aware of the comments Edwards had made and used them as motivation.
Motivation Factor
Irving used Edwards’ comments to motivate him for Game 1, and it worked
Irving stated after the game that he used Edwards’ comments as motivation, and if that was the case, it worked. Irving turned his shooting woes that had previously conflicted him in the first couple of series around, putting up 30 points with five rebounds and four assists.
Luka Dončić, who put up a huge clutch performance down the stretch to give the Mavericks the win, spoke highly of Irving’s performance.
"[It was] amazing. He got us going. You know, without him, he would probably be down 20 in the halftime. So he had us going. So I had to help him in the second half a little bit. So we switch [sic] roles this time.” – Luka Dončić
Meanwhile, Edwards’ production was limited. He had a good first half but was held scoreless in the third quarter. He would finish with just 19 points but recorded 11 rebounds, eight assists, and five three-pointers.
That allowed him to become only the second player in NBA history to record those figures in a Western Conference Final game, alongside Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Response Expected
Mavericks will expect a response from the T’Wolves in Game 2
Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks had more time to rest than the Timberwolves, as they wrapped up their series in six, while Minnesota was forced to scratch and claw their way to a Game 7 victory in Denver. Irving addressed that as a factor in the T’Wolves sluggishness and said they must be prepared for a response in Game 2.
“Coming out tonight, I knew that [Edwards] was gonna pressure me a little bit. But I knew that they were coming off of a Game 7 grueling game. So their legs were biting them a little bit tonight. So hopefully in Gamer 2, they come back and you know, send it a little bit more, but we'll be prepared.” –Kyrie Irving
The Mavericks now hold a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series after taking Game 1 in Minnesota. The T’Wolves will look to tie the series up on Friday night before heading back to Dallas for Game 3, but Dončić, Irving and the Mavericks will attempt to steal both games on the road to begin this series.
Anthony Edwards still made a bit of history during the Minnesota Timberwolves' Game 1 loss in the Western Conference Finals to the Dallas Mavericks.
