Veterans Flame Anthony Edwards For Congratulating Spurs With 8 Minutes Left in Game 6

Anthony Edwards received criticism for dapping up the San Antonio Spurs in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Veterans Flame Anthony Edwards For Congratulating Spurs With 8 Minutes Left in Game 6

Anthony Edwards (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Anthony Edwards congratulated the Spurs with 8 minutes left in Game 6, surprising many.
  • The Timberwolves lost to the Spurs 139-109, ending their season with a 4-2 series defeat.
  • Critics, including Udonis Haslem and Dirk Nowitzki, expressed disappointment over Edwards' gesture during the game.

Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves endured a difficult night on Friday. They gave it their all, but they couldn’t handle the San Antonio Spurs led by Victor Wembanyama, who dominated Game 6 from tip-off.

With their backs against the wall, the Wolves headed into Game 6 needing a win to force a Game 7. However, they were blown out by the Spurs, losing 139-109 at the Target Center. They lost the series 4-2 and saw their 2025-26 campaign end.

The Wolves headed into the fourth quarter knowing their fate, trailing by 26 points. With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Wolves threw in the towel and decided to empty the bench. But to everyone’s surprise, Edwards walked to the Spurs bench to congratulate them. 

The gesture surprised many, especially given that it came from Anthony Edwards. The young guard is regarded for his competitiveness and confidence. While some may see his gesture as a good sign of sportsmanship, some were left dumbfounded by it.

Edwards wasn’t at his best in this series as he has been battling with a knee injury throughout the playoffs this year. He did impress in Game 4 to level the series at 2-2, but went on to suffer two blowout losses in Games 5 and 6.

The Wolves had no answers for the Spurs, who showed their dominance on both ends of the court on Friday. They did not give the Wolves even a sniff to get themselves back into the game and even Edwards knew it at the start of the fourth quarter. The Wolves missed the chance to make it to their third consecutive Western Conference Finals.

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Udonis Haslem criticizes Anthony Edwards for congratulating the Spurs during Game 6

Anthony Edwards led the scorers for the Wolves with 24 points, but shot at below 35% from the field, which highlighted his struggles on the offensive end. It was a difficult pill to swallow for the 24-year-old. While some saw Edwards’ gesture as classy and as a sign of respect, Udonis Haslem did not see it in the same way.

Victor Wembanyama being guarded by Anthony Edwards
Victor Wembanyama being guarded by Anthony Edwards (Image via Timberwolves/X)

The Miami Heat legend criticized the gesture and believed that Edwards shouldn’t have done that in front of his teammates.

As great as Ant is as a basketball player, there’s still some growth for him as well. Because as a leader, I would not have walked down there and shook their hands with eight minutes left in the game. As a leader of my troops, I would not show that weakness. The game is not over. I got eight minutes left.

Anthony Edwards on NBA on Prime

Haslem agreed that he was cut from old-school cloth; hence, he was left disappointed with Edwards’ actions. But in Edwards’ defense, he saw no way back for his team, and he was subbed out for the rest of the game.

Dirk Nowitzki described Anthony Edwards’ act as unprecedented

The Spurs took away the Wolves’ soul in Game 6 in front of the Minnesota fans. It was a humiliating loss for Edwards and his teammates as they were completely blown away. Just like Udonis Haslem, Dirk Nowitzki couldn’t believe what he saw either.

The former champion was taken away by what he witnessed in the fourth quarter and found it strange.

I’ve watched the NBA and been a part of it for a long, long time. I’ve never seen this. A guy walking into the huddle with eight minutes to go in the fourth and dapping up the entire team. Too much for me. Obviously, you can do that after the game and show respect. That was a little strange to me.

Dirk Nowitzki on NBA on Prime

Nowitzki pretty much echoed Haslem’s statements. While the Spurs sealed their spot in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2017, the story of the night was Anthony Edwards’ premature congratulations act.

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