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“He’s Winding Down…”: Anthony Edwards Goes Gaga Over LeBron James Matchup After Ruining Special Night

Published 12/31/2023, 12:21 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Anthony Edwards had a “dream come true” moment as he took on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Minnesota Timberwolves guard matched up with none other than the all-time leading scorer in the NBA, LeBron James on a special day. While his happiness seemed to have reached phenomenal heights at this matchup, it only elevated as the game went on.

The Minnesota Timberwolves clashed with the Los Angeles Lakers in a gritty encounter and sure enough, chaos ensued. From the get-go, the teams engaged in a hard-fought battle, with the Wolves prevailing with the closest of margins. However, Edwards and James’ clash was unforgettable. Not only did Edwards live a dream of playing against The King, but he also prevailed over him in the wildest series of events.

Anthony Edwards is on cloud 9 after the LeBron James matchup

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Anthony Edwards led the Minnesota Timberwolves to the top of the Western Conference with his elite scoring ability this season. Ant and the Wolves, however, had the challenge of facing the resurgent Lakers in front of them. Not only was this matchup crucial but also of paramount importance as it accompanied LeBron James’ 39th birthday. After this duel, Edwards expressed his honor playing against, in his words, “one of the greatest players of all time”. He also counted the time he has left to matchup against the 39-year-old James, claiming that he knows the Lakers star was “winding down”.

 

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LeBron James put up an impressive 26 points on his birthday, almost leading the Lakers past the mighty Wolves. However, it was Anthony Edwards who steered the ship for Minnesota, leading the way with 31 points. LeBron James missed the last game that the Wolves matched up against the Lakers due to injury. Edward and Co. comfortably cruised past the Los Angeles-based franchise in their previous matchup, despite Anthony Davis’ monster game.

This time around, the Lakers were not going to give it away that easily as they put out an incredible effort to topple Minnesota. However, the last 2 seconds of the game changed the course of it completely. The controversial call on James’ three-pointer made the biggest difference in the game.

LeBron James’ controversial shot

The Los Angeles Lakers seemed to be getting back on track after a disappointing stretch. Their biggest test, however, proved to be a game against the Western Conference’s top team. After a dominant start in the first quarter, the Lakers slowly blew their lead, trailing by 4 by the half. Then came a dogfight that put the Lakers only 3 points behind the Timberwolves with just 2.3 seconds left in the game. However, this is when chaos ensued.

 

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LeBron James hailed a wild three-pointer which went in, tying the game and promising to force overtime. However, the referees ruled it as a 2-point field goal instead, retaining a 1-point lead with the Timberwolves. The desperate Lakers fouled Anthony Edwards after this and the 22-year-old sank a free throw to put the Los Angeles-based franchise away.

LeBron James may have shown out on his birthday, but it was Anthony Edwards who delivered the knockout punch. The Timberwolves rallied behind their guard to secure their second consecutive win, piling up an incredible record of 24-7. But evidently, this win did not come easy.

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Written by:

Sachit Kaundinya

360Articles

One take at a time

Sachit is an NBA content writer at EssentiallySports. He has been following the NBA for several years and is deeply passionate about the sport and it?s strategic aspects. Combining his passion and desire to stay connected with basketball, Sachit pursued a writing career.
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Edited by:

Sameen Nawathe