Anthony Edwards dropped a season-high 55 points on Saturday night - but it still wasn’t enough to carry the Minnesota Timberwolves past the San Antonio Spurs. What unfolded instead was a thrilling fourth-quarter duel between two of the league’s brightest young stars, with Edwards and Victor Wembanyama trading haymakers like it was Game 7 in June.
And while the Spurs walked away with the 126-123 win, the real headline was the mano-a-mano showdown between Edwards and Wemby down the stretch - a battle that had the feel of something bigger than just a regular-season clash in January.
“I loved it,” Edwards said after the game. “I wish we could’ve just moved everybody out the way and just checked up - me vs. him.”
When asked who would win that hypothetical one-on-one? Edwards didn’t hesitate: “Me.”
That confidence isn’t new, but on Saturday, Edwards backed it up with a jaw-dropping fourth quarter. He poured in 26 of his 55 points in the final frame alone, including a tough, fading pull-up from the top of the key that gave Minnesota a 110-108 lead.
But Wembanyama wasn’t about to let that be the final word. The 7-foot-4 phenom calmly answered with a smooth midrange jumper to tie it up.
Then came another Edwards bomb - a cold-blooded, unassisted three-pointer. Again, Wemby had a response, draining his own triple on the very next possession.
It was basketball poetry - two young stars going shot for shot in crunch time, neither blinking, neither backing down.
Wembanyama finished with 39 points on 12-of-23 shooting, including 4-of-9 from deep. He added nine boards, three assists, and two blocks in just 31 minutes of action. And while Edwards’ stat line was louder, it was Wemby’s Spurs who walked away with the win - and a statement.
“It’s an honor,” Wembanyama said of the duel. “It’s the best thing to have the best players go as hard as they can because it makes us better, it makes me better. It’s a show of respect and also of progress, stepping up.”
That’s the kind of mindset you want to see from a 20-year-old anchoring a franchise. Wemby isn’t just embracing the spotlight - he’s thriving in it.
With the win, San Antonio improved to 29-13, keeping pace with the Denver Nuggets in the race for second place in the Western Conference. Both teams also gained ground on the Oklahoma City Thunder, who dropped just their eighth game of the season with a loss to the Miami Heat.
But Saturday night wasn’t about standings. It was about two of the league’s future faces trading blows in a game that felt like a preview of many more battles to come.
Edwards brought the fireworks. Wembanyama brought the win.
And if this is what the future of the NBA looks like, fans should buckle up - because it’s going to be a wild ride.