As the NBA season inches closer to the playoffs, the intensity on the court continues to rise. Few players embody that rising energy quite like Anthony Edwards. The Minnesota Timberwolves star once again electrified the crowd on Thursday, March 5, delivering a thunderous dunk over RJ Barrett during the Wolves’ matchup against the Toronto Raptors.
NBA World Buzz Over Anthony Edwards’ Ferocious Dunk vs. Raptors
The third-seeded Timberwolves hosted the Raptors at Target Center in Minneapolis for their second meeting of the season. The Timberwolves once again got the better of the Raptors. They secured another and improved their season series to 2-0 while handing the Raptors their 27th loss of the year.
While the victory itself was important for Minnesota’s playoff push, the moment that got everyone buzzing with excitement came midway through the third quarter.
Edwards, the three-time NBA All-Star, entered the game riding high after a 41-point outing against the Memphis Grizzlies earlier in the week. He carried that same aggressive momentum into Thursday’s contest.
Around five minutes into the third quarter, Edwards picked up speed from near half court, sliced through the defense, and rose up for a ferocious hammer dunk directly over Barrett. The play instantly brought the crowd to its feet and quickly went viral on social media as the NBA world reacted to the jaw-dropping moment.
SportsCenter captured the moment with a simple reaction on X:
“ANTHONY EDWARDS MY GOODNESS 🤯”
ANTHONY EDWARDS MY GOODNESS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/YAH9fJQI0E
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 6, 2026
ESPN NBA highlighted what happened right after the dunk:
“ANT SCREAMED IN HIS FACE AFTER THE POSTER 😭🔥”
ANT SCREAMED IN HIS FACE AFTER THE POSTER 😭🔥 https://t.co/0bny9VycW5 pic.twitter.com/oASlqWf5q7
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 6, 2026
Legion Hoops summed up the unstoppable nature of Edwards’ performance:
“ANTHONY EDWARDS CAN’T BE STOPPED”
ANTHONY EDWARDS CAN’T BE STOPPED
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 6, 2026
BET99 Sportsbook joined the excitement with a playful take:
“ANTHONY EDWARDS SAID CHECK YOUR WATCH BECAUSE IT’S YAM TIME 😳”
ANTHONY EDWARDS SAID CHECK YOUR WATCH BECAUSE IT’S YAM TIME 😳
— BET99 Sportsbook (@BET99Sportsbook) March 6, 2026
Meanwhile, Hater Report reacted to the sheer force of the dunk:
“OH MY GAAAWD ANTHONY EDWARDS TRIED TO TAKE A LIFE”
OH MY GAAAWD ANTHONY EDWARDS TRIED TO TAKE A LIFE
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) March 6, 2026
French basketball page TrashTalk_fr kept it simple while reacting to the moment:
“ANTHONY EDWARDS DAMN 💥💥💥💥”
BR Betting focused on the victim of the poster moment, Barrett:
“ANTHONY EDWARDS JUST DUNKED ON RJ BARRETT’S LIFE 😱”
‘Locked On Wolves’ host J.R. Borman pointed out how the dunk fueled a big run for Minnesota:
“21-5 Wolves run from 7:48 to 2:26 to turn a 1-point deficit into a 15-point lead
Started with consistently great Rudy defense + Donte hustle plays
Amplified by an Anthony Edwards poster
Taken to another level by a crowd pop for two straight loud Naz Reid buckets”
What’s On Tap NBA offered a bold assessment of the Timberwolves star calling him a generational talent:
“Anthony Edwards. Generational.”
Anthony Edwards. Generational.
— Wilder Adams (@whatsontapnba) March 6, 2026
Raptors’ beat reporter Josh Lewenberg highlighted both the dunk and Edwards’ celebration afterward:
“Damn, RJ posterized on the dunk and the celly”
Damn, RJ posterized on the dunk and the celly https://t.co/EjkQIp48BB
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) March 6, 2026
The electric atmosphere inside Target Center was also noticeable to reporters covering the game. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic wrote:
“Wolves putting up some WOW plays and this crowd is on fire.”
Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore also referenced the added emotion after the dunk:
“Big Anthony Edwards dunk, and a little something extra for RJ Barrett on the cele”
Krawczynski later summed up the moment in another post:
“Ant just erupted. A hammer on RJ Barrett and he let him know about it.”
Edwards finished the game with 22 points, four rebounds, and three assists, shooting 66.7% from the field and 62.5% from three-point range.
The three-time NBA All-Star has been enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. Edwards is currently averaging 29.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, well above his career scoring average of 24.6 points per night. He remains the Timberwolves’ leading scorer this season.
With the win, the Wolves secured their fifth straight victory and improved to 40-23, moving one game ahead of the Houston Rockets for third place in the Western Conference.
