Anthony Edwards admits Michael Jordan influence in ‘blackout’ performance against Grizzlies

Timberwolves star man Anthony Edwards has been making the headlines lately for his recent remarks involving NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Anthony Edwards admits Michael Jordan influence in ‘blackout’ performance against Grizzlies

Michael Jordan and Anthony Edwards

The Minnesota Timberwolves played against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, capping off a brilliant win in the process. For the Timberwolves, it was their star Anthony Edwards, who led them toward the win against the Grizzlies. Edwards made a statement towards the league in the 141-125 win on Thursday by channeling his inner Michael Jordan.

He scored a whopping 44 points on the night, eclipsing his rival and another star Ja Morant‘s 36 points. Both players were in their element, but Edwards edged this battle on Thursday. In addition, the Timberwolves star gave credit to his trainer C Hines. Mostly because he sent him ‘some MJ’ videos which influenced him in the ‘blackout’ performance against the Grizzlies.

C Hines, my trainer, told me to black out tonight, so I tried to do that. We be watching, I know people gonna love this, he sent me MJ videos every day about blacking out. MJ said something like ‘why would I worry about a miss if I haven’t took the shot yet?’ So he be sending me stuff like that, so I appreciate him.

Anthony Edwards said after the game
YouTube video

Against the Grizzlies, Edwards put on one of his greatest games of the year. Making 13 of his 19 field goal attempts, 7 of his 11 three-pointers, and 11 of his 13 free throws, he was effective everywhere on the court. This showcases Edwards’s development in the game over the years with the Timberwolves side.

Co-star Julius Randle finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds in the game. He provided him with plenty of assistance. The Timberwolves put on an incredible show, scoring a franchise-high 52 points during the 3rd quarter of the matchup. Now, the Timberwolves, with 2 games remaining in the regular season, will be looking to secure a play-in spot.

Anthony Edwards had reportedly reached out to Michael Jordan earlier this season

This season, things have not gone well for the Minnesota Timberwolves and their star, Anthony Edwards. They have performed below expectations and are battling for a play-in spot. It is mostly because of the departure of Karl-Anthony Towns that has hampered the Timberwolves’ offense. So much so that Edwards reportedly reached out to the NBA legend, Michael Jordan for advice.

I was told by someone in his circle that three weeks ago Ant reached out to Michael Jordan on advice on how to handle some of the double teams and traps that he’s seeing… He’s been extremely frustrated up until late.

Per ESPN Mark Jones

The 23-year-old star would benefit greatly from receiving coaching from Jordan, who experienced much of the same intense defensive attention that Edwards is currently getting. Teams have adopted the nightly tactic of keeping pressure on Edwards to compel him to pass because there isn’t another offensive player to take the load off of him as Towns did in the past.

Anthony Edwards made franchise history in the game against Grizzlies

The Timberwolves-Grizzlies match proved to be a spectacle for NBA fans watching as one loss could hamper their play-in qualification chances. Luckily for the Timberwolves, they have Anthony Edwards who shone on Thursday night, dropping 44 points in his side’s win.

However, Edwards also made history for his side in the process. The Timberwolves delivered a historic declaration regarding Edwards’ play after this third quarter.

Edwards is up to 44 points, his 8th 40+ point game this season (18th career). He becomes the only @Timberwolves player all-time to have 44+ points in game against the Grizzlies.

per the Timberwolves on X

In 76 games this season, Edwards averaged 27.4 points going into this match. For his second consecutive All-NBA selection, the 23-year-old shooter has put up a fierce fight. After Thursday night, the Timberwolves have two more games to play. They sit at 8th in the West and look likely to secure a play-off/play-in spot before the end of the regular season.