“You get punched, it’s about getting back up. It’s about responding. That’s what the next challenge is.” Interestingly, what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander told everyone after Oklahoma City’s 143-101 loss this Saturday, was much more suited to what Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves did against them. In a complete show of dominance, Ant Man added 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting 12-of-17 from the floor and 5-of-8 from three-point range. But being the leader of the team doesn’t come with no pain. And for some time now, Edwards has been trying to solve one puzzle.

His troubles? “I don’t want to look like I’m not trying or not as good as I am, because I am, but I can’t show it because I’m getting double-teamed.” In the NBA, there are only two ways you can cope from a double team– Either learn how to score through those double teams or make teams more afraid of the possibility that you find the open man. Interestingly for Edwards, he has already given his choice, “I don’t want to just be passing the ball all night.” And that’s why he reached out to one person he knows has faced the same type of defense.

In January, the T-Wolves were in one of their worst possible states of all. That’s when the Atlanta native reportedly reached out to his idol Michael Jordan. While the secret isn’t out yet, we have seen Anthony Edwards get out of that hole and show just why he is the face of the league. On Saturday, he is took what the defense gave him, used their aggression against them, and—get this—made the smart play, the winning play, leading to the announcers pointing it out, asking him to follow the paths of Jordan and more superstars of the game.

One of the guys on the broadcast was all over it. “Make the right pass!” he was yelling, just as Ant was working in the post. “That’s why I wanted him to go into that post… because now when they double team, it’s easy for you to kick out and make a play and McDaniels gets rewarded with that three” Easy money. That’s not just a nice assist, that’s Ant understanding his power and using it to make everyone around him better.

Another announcer added, “Anthony Edwards talked earlier this year about the number of double teams (he gets) and how he hates playing double teams. That post, that could be a place where he avoids some of that.” Of course, a defender cannot stay on you for long inside the paint. And that’s how you avoid getting face-guarded or double-teamed. That’s when the third analyst on the broadcast astutely pointed out:

“He is, and he’s so young, so much to grow. But you look at the evolution of great scorers—Kawhi Leonard, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan—they all learn how to dominate that elbow and that logo spot.” Seriously, let that sink in.

And get this—it’s not just commentators making these sky-high comparisons anymore. The GOAT himself, Michael Jordan, apparently sees it too! According to longtime NBA insider Chris Broussard, who reached out to MJ earlier this year, Jordan acknowledged that “there are similarities in their games.” Now, Broussard was quick to clarify this isn’t about Ant being the next GOAT right now, but stylistically? MJ agrees. And if you really think about it, all this adds up because Jordan famously couldn’t stand the idea of shortening the season or load management, and Edwards has that same “I just wanna hoop!” mentality.

Of course, even with the GOAT’s nod and this incredible playoff run, everyone knows Ant still has a mountain to climb and plenty of room to grow. He’s still incredibly young, and consistency in these evolved aspects of his game will be the next big test. But tonight, the flashes are blinding.

Not so fast, OKC, as Edwards and his Wolves dominate game 3

So, that smarter play from Anthony Edwards in the first half? It laid the groundwork for an absolute beatdown. The Timberwolves flat-out demolished the Oklahoma City Thunder 143-101 in Game 3, and just like that, we’ve got a series at 2-1. Ant was the clear spark plug, the one running the show.

How did the Wolves flip the script so dramatically after those two road losses? Well, for one, most of the time it felt like they simply wouldn’t miss. They shot an insane 57.3% from the field and were lights out from three, hitting 50%. The team played with a fire and focus we hadn’t seen yet, and it all came from their main guy.

Edwards was everywhere! He dropped 30 points in 30 super-efficient minutes. That 16-point barrage he dropped in the first quarter? That was the knockout punch that set the tone. The Thunder never really got back up.

And that Minnesota defense? It was brilliant. Jaden McDaniels, for example, changed how he guarded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. He stopped pressing up so much, which had let OKC get to the line a ton in the first two games. Instead, McDaniels gave them a little room. Rudy Gobert was a genius with his positioning, too – staying back at first and then timing his contests perfectly when OKC’s guys drove. The result? SGA, the MVP, had his worst game of the playoffs—just 14 points on rough 4-of-13 shooting. His five-game, 30-point streak? Over.

On offense, Ant was running the whole show. He attacked pick-and-rolls from different angles, sometimes stepping back or going wider to really use those screens. He gave himself that extra beat to see what the defense was doing, then either pulled up for one of his killer threes or hit an open teammate. He was playing chess, and the Thunder were stuck playing checkers.

Everyone else on the Timberwolves just fed off Ant’s energy and smarts. Julius Randle put up a solid 24, and the bench came up huge—rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. even dropped a surprise 15 points in only 13 minutes! The whole team balled out!

The Thunder, though? They looked totally lost. Turnovers, missed shots, no rhythm—it was ugly all night. Game 3 sent a loud message: when Ant plays this smart and this explosive, the Timberwolves can take apart anybody. Suddenly, this series is looking a whole lot different.