Over the weekend, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves punched their way to the Western Conference final. As they prepare for their next opponent, the All-Star guard has set his sights on a certain matchup.

Aside from some outstanding offensive efforts, Edwards improved on defense during the postseason. He guarded Kevin Durant in the first round and helped slow down Jamal Murray in the second round. Now, the former No. 1 choice is looking forward to facing another top player.

Following the Timberwolves’ Game 7 victory over the reigning champion Denver Nuggets and 2023-24 MVP Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards was asked about facing the Dallas Mavericks. One of the first topics he discussed was how he will match up with Kyrie Irving.

“My matchup going to be Kyrie,” Edwards said postgame. “We’re going to see what I can do vs. him.”

Irving’s performance dropped slightly against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he remains a driving force behind the Mavericks’ success. In the postseason, the eight-time All-Star averages 21.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while shooting 48/44/84.

Nikola Jokic, meanwhile, had a fantastic second round, averaging 29.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 7.9 assists on 51.7% shooting, including 88.6% from the free throw line. He, however, did not receive enough support from his teammates to defeat Minnesota in a pivotal Game 7.

Anthony Edwards makes a strong statement regarding his defense against Jamal Murray.

One of the primary reasons the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets was their defense on Jamal Murray. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels made Murray’s offensive life incredibly difficult, preventing him from getting going.

As he left the arena following Game 7, Edwards made a quick statement about his defense of Murray. He claims he had the Nuggets guard “in handcuffs” throughout the series.

In Game 7, Anthony Edwards was Murray’s primary defender for around eight minutes. During that time, he only had seven points. Murray was 3-for-7 from the field and 1-for-4 from beyond the arc, with three turnovers while guarded by Edwards.

Murray averaged 18.4 points per game on 40.3% shooting during the series. This is his lowest PPG average and second-lowest field-goal percentage in a postseason series in his career. Murray’s worst performance against the Timberwolves came in Game 2, when he scored just eight points on 3-for-18 shooting.

After this game, Edwards and the Timberwolves must prepare for a new opponent. They’ll go up against one of the NBA’s other great all-around players, Luka Doncic. While Edwards may have focused on Kyrie Irving, he will most certainly be charged with guarding the Slovenian guard at some point throughout the game.

Edwards rose to prominence early in his career due to his scoring prowess and impressive athleticism. However, in the postseason, he is establishing himself as a two-way superstar.