Anthony Edwards Unfazed By Playoff Atmosphere At Crypto.com Arena

Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves handled business in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a great all-around shooting performance.

A concerning sign for L.A. is that Edwards did not have a strong shooting game as he had 22 points on 22 shots. But, Jaden McDaniels led the team with 25 points on 11-for-13 shooting and Naz Reid chipped in 23 points with six 3-pointers off the bench.

Heading into Game 1, seemingly no one was picking Minnesota to beat the Lakers and that clearly fueled them. As an underdog, it allowed the Timberwolves to play freely and Edwards was unfazed starting a series on the road. In fact, he took a bit of a shot at the Crypto.com Arena crowd compared to some of the other playoff atmospheres he has played in.

“I mean, an atmosphere like this, it’s easy for me,” he said. “I’ve played in Denver, man. Denver is a tough place to play on the road, so this was nothing.”

Coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance last season, Edwards wants to get to that point and get over the hump. Confidence is something the 23-year-old does not lack and he is presumably feeling good after that game.

If Edwards is able to get going offensively, playmaking becomes an easier option for him. From a game-planning perspective, Lakers head coach JJ Redick did a good job of making Edwards seeing bodies when looking for a shot, although it ultimately did not matter.

Now heading into Game 2, Minnesota’s confidence is going to be high after their dominant performance. While there needs to be changes from a schematic perspective, L.A. needs to come out with better energy and effort to combat the Timberwolves’ physicality.

LeBron James expects Lakers to be more ready for Timberwolves’ physicality in Game 2

Game 1 does not always predict what is to come in a series, but for a favored team like the Lakers to get embarrassed on their home court forces them to respond immediately. Game 2 is not necessarily a must-win, but L.A. needs it to feel better about themselves heading to Minneapolis.

Historically, the Lakers struggle to play at the Target Center and those Timberwolves fans are going to be amped. Looking ahead to Tuesday’s game though, LeBron James expects the team to be more ready for Minnesota’s physicality in an important Game 2.

“When you play the Minnesota team, you got to be physical. That’s what they bring to the table,” James said. “So maybe it took us one playoff game to now get a feel for the type of intensity, the type of physicality that’s going to be brought to the game, but that’s just the way they play. So we should be more than prepared for that on Tuesday night.”