“Reminding Me So Much of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant”: Charles Barkley Raves About Anthony Edwards

Being 0-2 down and playing at home, the motivation to make a strong comeback could have resulted in a win. But not so in the case of the Phoenix Suns. They were humbled once again by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-109 at Footprint Center, Arizona. After his performance and hearing what he had to say, Charles Barkley couldn’t stop himself from comparing the 22-year-old with the NBA legends. How Edwards’s killer mindset and approach make him stand apart from his peers. This similar trait Barkley had seen in Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

The Big 3 of Suns contributed but still, it felt something was missing. Minnesota on the other hand got 40 shots in from all over the field and converted 18 of them for a 45% shooting. Antman proceeded to make 12-23 field goals, 1-5 three-pointers, and all 11-11 free throw attempts during the game. Edwards dropped 36 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals to stamp his authority once again.

Barkley on NBA on TNT said, “When Shaq said he loved Anthony Edwards, I’m like, I’m with you, Shaq. When I saw him(Edwards) on ESPN last night with Adam, he said ‘I’m just going to kill everything in front of me, man.’ It reminded me so much of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. They would kill you to win a game, It’s not many players in today’s game everybody wanna be buddy-buddy. My Suns, man, uh clearly is over but I’m shocked they’re down three zip. But man, Edwards is letting everybody on notice. ‘Yeah, I’m not gonna wait for y’all to give me anything. I’m gonna take it all and I love it.'”

David Booker finished the night with 23 points and 8 assists. Kevin Durant had 25 for the night, and Bradley Beal scored a team-high 28 points while going 10-of-19.

Anthony Edwards vs Suns

In the aftermath of the win, the MVP game proceeded to engage in a interview with ESPN reporter Scott Van Pelt. During the session, the player was asked about his ‘mentality’ during the course of the game. Edwards responded by stating “I just want to kill everything in front of me. That’s the main thing, pretty much. That’s all there is to it.”

While talking about the all-important 4th game, Edwards said that because they haven’t been in this position it is easier for him to just focus on the present. “…We just started winning so you know we want to keep it going…”

Before the 3rd game, D-Book encouraged the Phoenix Suns fans by saying, “Don’t count us out.” Teammate Kevin Durant also echoed the same sentiments. He said, “Can’t give up on us now… We need you more than ever now.” But after seeing the performance the fans turned on their Suns and loud boos were heard in the stadium.

The 4th game too will be held in the Suns’ home, and the fans will be hoping for a miracle to avoid a clean sweep.