Austin Reaves Caught in Crossfire, as ‘Teammates’ Anthony Davis and Anthony Edwards Almost Destroyed Each Other

Anthony Davis etched his name into the annals of history on Sunday night with his monster performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With a mind-boggling stat line of 27 points, a season-high 25 rebounds, and a career-high seven steals, he became the first player in league history to do so in a single game. However, his career-defining night was not without a humbling moment during the game.

With 6:15 minutes left in the first quarter, T-Wolves star Anthony Edwards attempted one of the meanest dunks on Anthony Davis. Much to Ant-Man’s dismay, his efforts to posterize AD fell short of mere inches. However, Edwards’ gravity-defining atheism was on full display during what could have been the poster for the ages.

When asked about the audacious dunk attempt during a post-game conference, Austin Reaves was first at a loss for words but then continued, “I don’t know you are putting me in a tough situation because AD is my teammate. But it was really impressive, something I wish I could do, which would never happen. But no, he’s [Anthony Edwards] a freak athlete and an amazing basketball player, but even a better person.”

Despite the tightly contested back-and-forth matchup, AR went on to pour some love for his Team USA teammate Anthony Edwards. “Spending that time with him this summer was, you know, super cool to me. Getting to know him, but you know everything y’all see—all the jokes and stuff—that he makes around—he’s like that 24/7. So you tip your hat to a guy like that,” added Reaves.

However, just like his failed dunk attempt, his attempt to help Minnesota bounce back from an overtime loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers also fell short. Despite Edwards’ 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, the T-Wolves dropped their second straight in the 120-109 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers’ fourth-quarter surge helps them pull away with a win

On the back of Anthony Davis’ Wilt Chamberlain-esque stat line, the Lakers routed the then-second-seeded Timberwolves on Sunday. Entering the fourth quarter, the Lakers were trailing by a point, had committed 18 turnovers, and allowed nearly 50 percent shooting, but a final-quarter surge secured the win for the team. By the end of the night, the Lakers had outscored the opponents 29-17 in the fourth quarter, outrebounded them by 18, and outplayed them in the paint by 20 points to pull away with their ninth win in 13 games. And now, for the first time in nearly three years, the Lakers are six games above the .500 mark.

With a 36-30 record, the Lakers have now carved out a slim 1.5-game lead over the 10th-seeded Golden State Warriors and are just a game clear of the eighth-placed Dallas Mavericks. However, their sights are set on the coveted sixth spot, which is just two wins removed and currently held by the Phoenix Suns.

Read More: “Floating Like [Michael Jordan]”: Anthony Edwards’ Aerial Assault on Lakers Superstar Gains 2x All-Star’s Attention