Anthony Edwards provides insight into his widely-shared dunk over John Collins.
The NBA Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend might have been underwhelming, but players more than compensated for it with some impressive dunks during the regular season. On Monday night, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves delivered a highlight that could contend for dunk of the year.
In the third quarter of their game against the Utah Jazz, Edwards soared and slammed down a ferocious dunk over Jazz power forward John Collins. This electrifying play propelled the Timberwolves to a 114-104 victory and left both players visibly shaken.
“I thought I was going to miss it because I wasn’t near the rim, but somehow it went in for me,” remarked Edwards, who racked up 25 of his 32 points in the second half.
Edwards sustained a dislocated left ring finger after his hand collided with Collins’ face. Despite the injury, he swiftly returned to the game after a brief visit to the locker room during a timeout. Unfortunately, Collins wasn’t as fortunate; he was sidelined during the fourth quarter as the team assessed him for a potential concussion. Thankfully, he was cleared of a concussion but diagnosed with a head contusion.
With the Timberwolves already missing key players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, Edwards’ dunk injected much-needed energy into the team. It served as a catalyst for their momentum, rallying both his teammates and the crowd.
“It energizes everyone. It motivates everyone to defend, to get stops. It adds excitement to the game,” noted Edwards.
The Timberwolves faced adversity with Naz Reid also suffering a head injury in the first half. Once again, Edwards stepped up and carried the team to victory, marking his third consecutive game with 30+ points.
Coach Chris Finch praised Edwards’ ability to turn the tide in games and noted his growing maturity on the court. Edwards extended his streak to four games the following night against the defending NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets. However, the Timberwolves narrowly lost the contest 115-112.
Despite the setback, Minnesota remains in contention, currently occupying third place in the Western Conference, trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets by one game. They face an uphill battle to reclaim the top spot, but they maintain a comfortable four-game lead over the fourth-placed Los Angeles Clippers.
