Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is one of the most vocal and energetic players in the NBA. That intensity spilled over during the Wolves’ road matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on February 26, and it gave the basketball world plenty to talk about.
Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley Weigh In on the Anthony Edwards-Chris Finch Moment
Late in the game with the Wolves leading 87-84, Edwards hit a mid-range jumper over two defenders but missed. Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch told him to pass the ball on the next possession. Edwards responded by drilling a clutch three over two defenders, sealing the 92-88 win and getting in Finch’s face.
“THAT’S WHAT THE F*CK I DO!,” he was heard saying.
Edwards calmly explained his side of it after the game.
“Because the play before, Finch, when I took the mid-range over two, he was like, pass the ball. And I just told him, like, you don’t want me to pass the ball. You want me to shoot it,” Edwards said.
Finch, for his part, did not make it a bigger deal than it needed to be. Speaking to Colin Cowherd on FS1’s The Herd, he kept it simple.
“Listen, we’re both fiery competitors. It’s been part of our relationship since Day 1. We have a phenomenally talented player who makes great shots and he’s a closer and he’s taken major strides in that department and we’re lucky to have him,” Finch said.
NBA Courtside posted clips of both Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley reacting to the moment on the NBA Tipoff podcast, and the two legends landed on very different sides of the debate.
Shaq loved every bit of it. He compared Edwards to the elite closers he played alongside during his own career.
“I like playing with a guy like that. Kobe, D Wade, Penny were all like that. You need that guy that says ‘hey man, I’m taking the last shot.’ I don’t care what nobody says,” O’Neal said.
Barkley appreciated the fire but raised a concern about what it signals to the rest of the locker room.
“I think Anthony has to be careful. Anthony is a great player, but if Anthony’s not gonna listen to the coach, he kind of handicaps the coach. The other players are watching like ‘You let Ant do stuff! You can’t talk to me. I did the same thing Ant did!” Barkley said.
On the night, Edwards finished with 31 points on 12-of-24 shooting, three rebounds, and five assists. He hit the shot that mattered most when the game was on the line. It is hard to argue with results like that.
On the season, Edwards is averaging a career-high 29.5 points per game to go along with 5.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 49.3% from the field and 39.8% from three.
He is the Timberwolves’ lead scorer and one of the most skilled two-way players in the league right now. Minnesota is fourth in the Western Conference with a 38-23 record and has won three straight games.
