Basketball players know there’s nothing worse than being called “too small.” Tonight, Wolves’ Anthony Edwards proved just how dangerous that kind of provocation can be. In the game against the Celtics, Jaylen Brown went up for a tough fadeaway over Edwards and flashed the “too small” gesture as he jogged back on defense. Brown torched Minnesota for 19 points in the first quarter and 27 by halftime. But when the final buzzer sounded, it was the Wolves celebrating, taking the win 119-115.

After the game, Edwards explained how Brown’s trash talk fueled his performance. “I mean, he had 40, so just trying to not let him get a shot off… I feel like I did a good job on him. He made a tough shot on me one time and kind of told me I’m too small. I said, that might have been the luckiest shot ever… he kind of woke me up after telling me I was too small.”

And that wake-up call clearly worked. Edwards flipped the script, carrying the Timberwolves on his back with 39 points on 12-of-24 shooting, including 5-of-11 from three and a near-perfect 10-of-11 from the free-throw line, while also adding two rebounds and five assists. Jaylen Brown tried to keep pace, pouring in 41 points with seven assists, six rebounds, and five steals, but Boston couldn’t close it out.

Edwards let Jaylen Brown’s early taunt simmer in the back of his mind. Talking after the game, he laughed about the moment: “I’m like bruh, that might’ve been the luckiest shot ever. He said, ‘that’s not luck, that’s hard work.’ I was like yeah, let me find somebody that work on shooting a fade-away from the elbow going off the glass.” That little exchange set the stage for an intense battle between the two.

The first half belonged to Boston. Brown was heating up, and Neemias Queta was a force inside, piling up 19 points and 18 rebounds while helping the Celtics take a 69-59 lead into halftime. Minnesota struggled to match the physicality, and it looked like the game might slip away.

Then Edwards flipped the switch. In the fourth quarter, he scored 14 points, locked down Brown, and made the plays that mattered most. With the clock winding down, he launched an off-balance three-pointer that put Minnesota up by two possessions, sending Target Center into an uproar.

After the final buzzer, Edwards brushed off the theatrics and gave credit to a mix of teamwork and luck. “Me and Julius played a two man game. I tried to get to my isolation, lost the ball. I threw up a prayer and God answered it,” he said, capturing just how instinct, skill, and a little fortune combined to deliver the Timberwolves’ win.

Jaylen Brown’s record-breaking night

If Anthony Edwards got a little divine help on the Timberwolves’ side, Jaylen Brown got his own dose of magic on the Celtics’ end. In the first half, he scored 27 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, dished out 5 assists, and added 3 steals while shooting 11-of-16 from the field and hitting 4-of-7 from three. 

The Celtics were clicking on all cylinders, hitting 56% from the field and 41% from deep, while also controlling the boards 23-15. Minnesota had no answer for Brown’s scoring spree, and Boston jumped out to a 10-point halftime lead.

By the end of the game, he racked up 41 points, seven assists, six rebounds, five steals, and a block on 17-of-32 shooting, including 5-of-11 from beyond the arc. His performance put him in rare company: he’s now only the second Celtic, alongside Larry Bird, to score 40+ points while also recording at least five rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a game. 

On top of that, he became the first player in Boston history to hit 41 points with at least seven rebounds, seven assists, and five steals in a single game.

Even dealing with back spasms before the game, Brown delivered one of his most efficient efforts this season. He nailed a season-high five three-pointers and finished with a stat line that tied his season best. 

His hot shooting helped Boston keep pace in a tough matchup, though the Wolves battled back with a late run to secure the win. Brown has now scored 33 or more points in three straight games and is averaging 28.4 points per game in November.