Funny, Edwards said he played the Thunder G4 right, A. Smith said "unforgivable"

Stephen A. Smith criticized Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards for his performance in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals when the Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the Thunder.

Anthony Edwards scored 30 points in Game 3 but scored only 16 points in Game 4. The final score gap was only two points, and many, including ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, believed that Edwards' poor performance directly led to the Minnesota Timberwolves' loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

Although Edwards performed mediocrely that night, he said after the game that he did not think he had encountered any difficulties and had fully realized the potential of a defensive player. Smith quickly refuted the claim, saying his reaction was "unforgivable."

"It's unforgivable when your response is 'I don't think I'm struggling, I'm playing right' and your offense is relatively mediocre," Smith said on "First Take."

"Ant-Man is far better than that. The Minnesota Timberwolves were in this situation from the beginning because they weren't focused on doing the right thing. Sometimes you have to play heroes; sometimes you have to be a little selfish. Sometimes you have to stand up and show an aggressiveness that can get your opponents out of the way until you get them excited because you're a breathtaking player."

Edwards made 5 of 13 shots in the game and scored only 16 points. He also contributed 4 rebounds and 6 assists, but also made 5 turnovers, and was defended by Luganz Dort most of the game.

Stephen A. Smith criticized Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards

This is not the first time Smith criticized Edwards during the Western Conference Finals. The outspoken ESPN host had previously claimed that the 23-year-old had only shot 13 times in the first game, which was "unacceptable". Ironically, in Game 4, he made the same number of shots as when Smith targeted him again.

Edwards scored 16 points, the lowest score in the 2025 playoffs since his first round against the Los Angeles Lakers. However, in that game against the Lakers, the Timberwolves narrowly beat the Lakers 103-96 in Game 5, ending the series. Edwards missed twice in the Western Conference Finals, both ending in a loss, sparking criticism and controversy.

Although the Thunder's Big Three scored a total of 95 points, the Timberwolves were still only two points away from equalizing the score under Edwards' attack. Nikil Alexander Walker made another wonderful performance when he came on the bench, scoring a team-high 23 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Jaden McDaniels scored 22 points in the series' highest score, while Dont Divinsonzo came on the bench to contribute 21 points.