MINNEAPOLIS — When the net snapped, after the horn blared, Anthony Edwards roared. Target Center trembled.
His buzzer-beating 3-pointer, which seemed to exit the atmosphere before descending into the rim, merely punctuated the first quarter. But its loudness trumpeted a proclamation. Ant was back.
“The guy is ridiculous,” San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ star. “… It takes the whole team with that guy to try to just make it tough for him.”
After coming off the bench, returning early from a hyperextended knee, Edwards reclaimed some of his mojo. He played 41 minutes in Friday’s Game 3 Western Conference semifinal series — through two ailing knees and San Antonio’s aggressive, trailing defense — and totaled 32 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Edwards found a version of his game worthy of his responsibility.
And Victor Wembanyama’s response?
Hold my Bordeaux.
Figuratively, of course. Wemby is reportedly a teetotaler.
The Spurs’ phenom turned up the aggression, reached into his endless well of talent and delivered a performance that evoked history.
Wembanyama, whose postseason career is now seven games old, displayed mettle with his mastery. In his second playoff road game, he responded to the pressure by applying it. Logic, curated by decades of precedent, suggested the 22-year-old might tremble at the growl of the aggressive, experienced Wolves. But he boasted the comfort of one fulfilling his purpose.
The significance of what happened inside the Target Center went beyond San Antonio’s 115-108 win to take a 2-1 lead in this series. A pair of young NBA giants measured each other. Two of the league’s riveting figures clashed. As a result, an idealized future of the NBA emerged in the present.
The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards defends the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama during Wednesday’s Game 2. The superstars, as expected, have been the central figures of the series. (Eric Gay / Associated Press)
Wembanyama swung first. Edwards retaliated with haymakers. The two traded shots, traded moments, in an environment that felt like the animosity would continue in the parking lot.
However, in the throes of crunch time, Wembanyama left the Earth.
On one move, he drove right on Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, spun back to his left and hit a fadeaway jumper over the four-time defensive player of the year. The only thing missing was the cool backpedal to emphasize how easy it was. Give him time.
Wembanyama single-handedly deconstructed the experienced Timberwolves. On both ends. And the prophesied GOAT had his first sublimely surreal postseason performance: 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks.
The Timberwolves spent the evening on the run from Wembanyama’s shot-blocking and wound up shooting 38 percent from the field.
“They got somebody who’s 7-6 on the floor, and he takes up a lot of space,” Edwards said. “In the paint, he’s just everywhere.”
This budding rivalry between Edwards and Wembanyama, which figures to make its way to the Olympic stage in Los Angeles in 2028, gives the NBA a matchup so titillating it could define an era.
The league could use 10 years of this: Ant vs. Wemby. It’s not an organic rivalry. They aren’t naturally drawn to each other, save for their talent and tenacity. But they see a worthy foe in each other, and respect it enough to want to challenge it.
As LeBron James and Steph Curry make their exit, Ant and Wemby become prime candidates for the next generation’s marquee adversaries. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s brand of brilliance polarizes in Oklahoma City, and Luka Dončić struggles to stay healthy in L.A., Ant and Wemby offer throwback vibes with games featuring the latest software update.
These two are a duo made for postseason theater. They’re fashioned to fill the void on the NBA’s main stage. This league is built on the battles of all-time greats. The DNA of this modern era traces back to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird jousting for supremacy. Ant and Wemby have the quality and personality to carry on this tradition.
Edwards is magnetic. Wembanyama is breathtaking.
Wembanyama is polished, a stately and thoughtful spokesperson. Edwards comes with frayed edges and charm as inviting as a Georgia front porch with sun-kissed sweet tea.
Edwards’ explosiveness produces randomized jolts of spectacular. The electricity is almost visible as he crosses over, slashing and bursting. Wembanyama’s unorthodox combination of height and skill breaches our paradigms. Sometimes his highlights feel like an AI video of a created-player giraffe. Awkward and amazing. Befuddling and brilliant.
Wembanyama unabashedly declares his intent to sit on the NBA’s throne. He’s been groomed for it and dresses for the job he wants as the face of the league. Edwards publicly rejects the nomination, passing it to the next man like a collection plate. Perhaps he’s wise enough to realize he’s a bit too sophomoric, too reckless in some areas, for the scrutiny of the throne.
However, it’s what they share that makes them special and captivating combatants. Both want to win. Both prefer the hard road. Both live for competition, which produces a noted relentlessness. That’s why Edwards says he doesn’t want it, but traditionally shines when facing the league’s best. He’s ousted Nikola Jokić from the playoffs twice. Sent Kevin Durant and LeBron James home.
He knows what’s across from him in this series — something he’s never seen before. Perhaps the largest impediment to his title hopes over the next decade.
In Game 3, Edwards was good enough to demand Wembanyama’s best. With his 3-point shot still sketchy, with his teammates struggling from the field — Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle combined to shoot 8 of 34 — Edwards willed himself to a big game.
And Wembanyama loves that. He wants the competition to push him to a higher plane. At his height, elevation comes naturally.
Wembanyama bested his new rival. In the process, he put Edwards in a desperate position. The Timberwolves’ season, again, faces a brink. Beating Wembanyama now demands another level. We already know how Ant will respond. And that Wemby will be ready for it.
That’s the basis of their camaraderie of contention. Why they’re made for each other. And why the NBA needs them.