The dunk of the year belongs to Anthony Edwards.
THE Minnesota Timberwolves The star threw down an absolutely ridiculous dunk in the second half of their 114-104 win over the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center Monday evening. Edwards stood up on a fast break and didn’t flinch as he advanced Jazz John Collins on a poster.
Just look:
In fact, Edwards threw the dunk so hard that he appeared to injure his finger in the process. Edwards fouled the play and stayed in the game.
Although the play itself was remarkable, the photos of the dunk were somehow better than the videos.
“I’m going to tell my kids: I did it. That’s my assist,” said Nickiel Alexander-Walker, via Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I can definitely say, ‘Oh, I was going to shoot it, but I turned it down.’ … What he did, brother, he got me going. I was angry the rest of the game.
Without a doubt, Edwards said, it was the best dunk of his career.
Q: You haven’t even touched the edge…
Anthony Edwards: “That’s what I’m saying. I thought I was going to miss it because I wasn’t close to the edge, but somehow God wanted it for me.
– Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) March 19, 2024
Collins was ruled out of the game later in the fourth quarter due to the dunk having to be evaluated for a concussion. According to Athletic’s Shams Charaniahe was diagnosed with a head contusion, but avoided a concussion.
Edwards entered Monday averaging 26.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and five assists per game this season, his league career highs. The former No. 1 overall pick earned his second straight All-Star nod this season, and he agreed to a five-year, $260 million extension with the Timberwolves last summer.
Despite falling into a 16-point gap late in the first quarter, the Timberwolves fought their way back into the game, then took the lead midway through the fourth quarter thanks to a quick 12-1 burst. From there, they held on to take the win by 10 points.
Collin Sexton led the Jazz with 24 points coming off the bench in the loss. Lauri Markkanen added 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Keyonte George finished with 15 points and eight assists. The Jazz, who have now lost two straight to the Timberwolves and eight of their last 10 games, hold a record of just 29-39.
Edwards led the Timberwolves with 32 points, seven assists and seven rebounds while shooting 13 of 23 from the field. Naz Reid added 17 points, and Nickel Alexander-Walker added 13 points coming off the bench. The Timberwolves are three games in a row and will return home to kick off a four-game homestand against the Denver Nuggets Tuesday evening.
