Kevin Durant gave Anthony Edwards classy praise after sweep: 'My favorite player to watch'
Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Bryan Kalbrosky.
After the Suns were swept by the Timberwolves in the first round of the postseason, Kevin Durant had a classy message for Anthony Edwards.
Durant, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and 14-time NBA All-Star, took the loss in stride. He was simply outshined by Edwards, who became the only player other than Kobe Bryant to ever record at least 40 points to finish a sweep on the road before turning 23 years old.
There simply wasn't an answer for Edwards on either end of the floor and it didn't take much for Durant to acknowledge that. Fortunately, he was able to share a very special moment with Edwards on the court after his elimination:
Edwards finished the series averaging 31.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. He also shot 43.8 percent on 3-pointers against the Suns while recording some jaw-dropping highlights.
Durant saw all of this and during his postgame press conference, the praise for Edwards only continued.
Here is what Durant said:
"So impressed by Ant. My favorite player to watch. Just grown so much since he came into the league. At 22, his love for the game just shines bright and that's one of the reasons why I like him the most. He loves basketball. He is grateful to be in this position and he's taking advantage of every opportunity he's gotten. I love everything about Ant."
Durant and Edwards will team up for USA men's basketball, likely playing together in the starting lineup, this summer for the 2024 Olympics.
How would the Nuggets fare without Jamal Murray?
Jamal Murray suffered a calf injury in Game 4 against the Lakers. How will it impact the next game?
"Jamal Murray is questionable for Monday’s Game 5 between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers, but oddsmakers don’t expect his potential absence to have much of an impact on the outcome.
One win away from closing the series and moving on to the second round, the Nuggets remain 7.5-point favorites over LA, with -300 odds on their moneyline. Even after Murray was diagnosed with a left calf strain following Denver’s Game 4 loss Saturday, this series isn’t expected to drag on much longer. The Nuggets hold -10000 odds to advance at BetMGM, leaving little doubt they won’t become the first team ever to blow a 3-0 series lead."
Shootaround
— Charles Barkley apologized to Beyoncé’s mom for roasting her hometown before roasting it again
— Bradley Beal appeared to ignore a handshake from Suns coach Frank Vogel during a season-ending loss
— The Timberwolves rallied around head coach Chris Finch after he tore his patellar during series win
— Anthony Edwards gave a hysterical NSFW reason for Karl-Anthony Towns' clutch performance against the Suns