The Minnesota Timberwolves opened their Western Conference playoff series in dominant fashion, steamrolling the Los Angeles Lakers 117-95 on the road.
While Luka Doncic poured in 37 points in an attempt to keep the Lakers afloat, it was Anthony Edwards who stole the spotlight, not just with his stat line, but with a moment that had social media buzzing.
Anthony Edwards channels Spider-Man
Early in the fourth quarter, Edwards drained a three-pointer over Doncic to extend Minnesota’s lead to 16.
What followed was a calculated taunt: Edwards paused, locked eyes with Doncic, then struck a familiar pose, his arm stretched forward in a “Spider-Man” pointing gesture, a nod that immediately went viral.
“I got a great group of guys,”Edwards said postgame.
“But it wasn’t tonight. I learned that in training camp. It just takes a minute for us to gel as a new team… I feel like now we just go.”
The Timberwolves certainly found their rhythm in Game 1, outscoring the Lakers by 18 in the second quarter alone.
Edwards flirted with a triple-double, 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, despite briefly exiting to the locker room in the third.
His ability to create for teammates like Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid opened up the floor and buried any hopes of a Lakers comeback.
Doncic, ever the competitor, was blunt in his assessment:
“I just tried to set the tone early,” he said.
“But obviously, one assist, that’s not good enough for me.”
He added that the Lakers“let go of the rope” after a strong start, and the team was unable to respond to Minnesota’s second-quarter surge.
While the scoreboard told one story, it’s Edwards’ Spider-Man celebration aimed at Doncic that may define this opening-round clash.
With Game 2 looming, all eyes will be on whether the Lakers, and Luka, can respond to both the scoreboard and the showmanship.
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