Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has quickly become one of the rising stars in the NBA. The 22-year-old supremely athletic wing led the T-Wolves to the playoffs this past season, and now he’s quickly becoming Team USA’s go-to-guy as the team readies for the World Cup. Edwards’ performance on Sunday left the basketball world buzzing.
Edwards, who scored 34 points on 11-for-21 shooting and 8 of 8 from the free throw line, was the catalyst as Team USA overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to defeat Germany 99-91. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick led the team to a 5-0 record in exhibition play, and Sunday’s epic performance sent the crowd in the United Arab Emirates into a frenzy as they cheered Ant-Man and Team USA’s efforts.
Team USA head coach Steve Kerr who’s coached against Edwards on numerous occasions, knows he has that “DOG” in him, and for a team light on that Edwards’ presence is vital.
Ant-Man Is The Guy
In the aftermath of his performance, Edwards told reporters, “That was the best game I’ve had in a minute.”
Kerr raved about Edwards in his postgame interview.
“He’s unquestionably the guy,” Kerr said. “He knows it. He knows it. Now the rest of the team knows it.”
Kerr Says Team Can Still Get Better
Kerr, who’s led the Golden State Warriors to four titles since 2015, spoke to how he believes the team can get better following the huge comeback. He also mentioned the team’s fight and unwillingness to quit.
“What I like is we know now they’ve got guts,” Kerr said. “But we can get a lot better because we have a higher ceiling than a lot of teams — because most of the teams have been together. (Germany) has been together. They’re really good. We feel like we’ve got a lot of room for growth. And we’ve got to keep working and getting better as we head to Manila.”
Team USA turned the game on the defensive end, and that’s what Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton says they’ll need to continue to do going forward.
“It just comes down to buckling down and getting stops,” the 2023 All-Star guard said.
