By Jon Krawczynski, Shams Charania and Alex Andrejev
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards’ spectacular poster dunk over Utah Jazz energy ahead John Collins on Monday was so emphatic it left each gamers injured.
Edwards, in a postgame interview with Bally Sports activities North, mentioned he dislocated a finger on his left hand. Collins, on the receiving finish of the dunk, left with a head contusion after contesting the slam, based on league sources. Collins didn’t endure a concussion.
The highlight-worthy second occurred with Minnesota trailing by one level within the third quarter. With the ball poked to Edwards, he picked it up, dribbled down the court docket and handed it off Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who then despatched the ball again to Edwards within the lane. Edwards then proceeded to slam house the potential dunk of the yr over the 6-foot-9 Collins.
After Edwards landed, he seemed to be holding his finger as teammates surrounded him to have fun.
Minnesota went on to win 114-104, with Edwards scoring a game-high 32 factors.
Æ5. GOODNESS. 🐜 pic.twitter.com/7qtk0Cm6tg
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 19, 2024
Edwards’ dunk historical past
Edwards isn’t any stranger to high-flying dunks. From his rookie season, when he introduced an avalanche on Toronto’s Yuta Watanabe, he shortly grew to become often known as one of many league’s most violent in-game dunkers. Alperen Şengün, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jalen McDaniels and Jalen Duren are only a few of the defenders who’ve felt his wrath over time. His greatest dunk, arguably, was one which didn’t technically rely when he threw down over Miami’s Gabe Vincent in his second season and was known as for an offensive foul.
This one on Collins was impactful in additional methods than one. The Wolves had been trailing when Edwards elevated, unable to get going offensively with out the injured Karl-Anthony Cities, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid, who didn’t play within the second half due to a head damage. The Wolves outscored the Jazz 49-38 the remainder of the best way to get a much-needed win.
Collins didn’t return to the sport after the dunk, with Edwards’ hand inadvertently hanging Collins within the head.
The dunk received Edwards going as effectively. He scored 25 of his 32 factors within the second half to place the Wolves offense on his again. — Jon Krawczynski, Timberwolves senior author
WE’LL JUST LEAVE THIS HERE. pic.twitter.com/Uak7YZzJIt
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 19, 2024
‘He’s Wolverine’
When Edwards threw the dunk down, he stopped and checked out his left hand. Teammates additionally took a have a look at his finger and had huge eyes as Edwards shortly went to the locker room for consideration. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch known as timeout to purchase a while as a result of Edwards wanted to shoot a free throw after being fouled on the dunk. If he didn’t shoot the free throw, he couldn’t return to the sport.
Edwards got here again together with his fingers on his left hand taped up, and appeared no worse for the damage. This adopted a sample for the 22-year-old star. He has develop into recognized for struggling accidents that, at first look, seem like very severe. However after a fast journey to the locker room, he returns to play with little signal that he was ever damage.
“He’s Wolverine,” Edwards’ enterprise supervisor, Justin Holland, has mentioned. — Krawczynski
ALLLLLL THE ANGLES. 😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/Vld2F0ifHG
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 19, 2024
Huge image
May a efficiency like this one vault Edwards into the dialog for All-NBA First Crew? 4 of the spots appear to be fairly locked up with Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all heavy favorites for the honors.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum figures to get sturdy consideration for the fifth and remaining spot, given he’s the most effective participant on the Boston Celtics, the crew that has been by far the most effective this season. But when Edwards retains placing up video games like this to maintain the Timberwolves in competition for the No. 1 seed within the Western Convention with Cities and Gobert each out, he’ll make a compelling case.
He’s making fairly a push for it. Within the earlier 14 video games, he was averaging 29.1 factors and 5.8 rebounds. He was averaging 31 factors and seven.2 rebounds within the 5 video games Cities missed previous to beating Utah. That has the Wolves (47-21) tied with Denver for second within the West, only a half-game behind Oklahoma Metropolis. — Krawczynski
Required studying
(Picture: Alex Goodlett / Getty)