Tonight’s matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies was overshadowed by Rudy Gobert’s pre-game comments about ‘passing the ball’. It was a subtle dig at teammates Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, who have been a bit selfish on offense this season. But Edward’s 41-point display against a struggling Grizzlies outfit proves he deserves the limelight and all the smoke that comes along with it, too.

In an all-round dominant display this evening, Ant dropped 41 points, six rebounds, and two assists to almost single-handedly take down Memphis on home soil. He also grabbed five steals, and in doing so matched Luka Doncic’s record of nine 40-point games this season.

Edwards also joined elite company alongside LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown, Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, and Doncic as the only players to score 40+ points and grab five steals in the same game this campaign.

Edwards started hot in the first quarter, quickly grabbing 12 points in nine minutes. He finished the first half with 21 points. He resumed steadily in the third quarter with seven points but exploded in the final 15, dropping 13 to equal Doncic’s tally of nine 40+ point games. 

Doncic’s last 40-pointer came last month when he scored 40 in 39 minutes in the 110-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Feb 26 in Arizona. Before that, the Slovenian also had 46 in the 129-118 win over the Chicago Bulls in January. His nine 40-point games across a total of 48 games played this season account for 18.8% of his outings

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Both Donic and Ant remain in contention for the NBA MVP title but trail behind OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, and ‘underdog’ Cunningham.

Anthony Edwards – Julius Randle Combine to Silence Rudy Gobert

Ant’s display tonight was enough to justify why he deserves more of the ball, especially in clutch moments of the game. 3x NBA All-Star Julius Randle also showed why he deserves higher offensive responsibility with the Timberwolves. The former New York Knicks man scored 23 points and four assists while also adding 11 total rebounds against the Grizzlies. He also had five turnovers, which is an area that he definitely needs to work on moving forward.

In stark contrast, Gobert had five points and 12 rebounds tonight, which makes his pre-game comments a bit of a ‘head scratcher’. Either way, Minnesota HC Chris Finch will anticipate that the addition of veteran Kyle Anderson will ease the tension both in the locker room and on the court as calmer heads prevail.

The Timberwolves (39-23) are currently fourth in the West, and Tuesday’s win makes it four-in-a-row for them. The Houston Rockets (38-22) sit third, but that could change in the coming weeks. All eyes remain on Ant and Co. as they mount another deep playoff run.