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Wolves' Anthony Edwards enjoys facing Grizzlies' Ja Morant: 'I just try not to get dunked on'
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- Wolves' Anthony Edwards enjoys facing Grizzlies' Ja Morant: 'I just try not to get dunked on'
Even after the last-second loss, Anthony Edwards' face lit up at the question during his postgame media availability.
"That's my dog," the Minnesota Timberwolves guard said when asked about Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant . "It's super exciting."
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Edwards and Morant went back and forth when the teams met in the 2022 NBA playoffs, but they didn't get to face each other last season because Morant was out with a suspension and then with a shoulder injury. Monday afternoon's game at FedExForum ended in a 108-106 win for the Grizzlies when Edwards' shot missed at the buzzer. It was the second time the Grizzlies beat the Timberwolves this month; Memphis won that one 127-125..
Still, Edwards relished the opportunity to compete against Morant.
"It's hard to guard him, because you don't know which way he's going to go," Edwards said. "A lot of people think he always wants to go left, but he really wants that spin move, too. So it's like, I'm trying to cut off the left hand and the spin move. It's super hard. It's super fun, man. He loves to compete, and he's super athletic. So I just try not to get dunked on."
Edwards had 32 points to lead all scorers, while Morant had 19 points and seven assists.
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When Edwards, Jaden McDaniels or Nickeil Alexander-Walker weren't guarding Morant, that assignment fell to Wolves point guard Mike Conley.
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That's a matchup that delights Grizzlies fans, who get to see Memphis' former and current star point guards go head-to-head.
"It's always a challenge," Conley said. "I love it. I'm 37 years old, man. Sometimes he scores on me, sometimes I get a deflection, sometimes I get a foul. I just enjoy the challenge, when I go home at night knowing I'm in Year 18 trying to guard this guy that's basically unguardable."
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Conley said he has been impressed with Morant's growth throughout his career, especially his ability to control games and toggle his aggressiveness when his team needs it.
"He lets the game come to him even more so," he said. "He can be aggressive early, or he can just chill and let other guys get their games going. And then when the time comes, second half, he gets more aggressive, he gets more downhill, gets to the free-throw line."
The Grizzlies and Timberwolves will meet one more time this season, on April 10 at FedExForum.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What Anthony Edwards said about playing against Ja Morant, Grizzlies
