The Oklahoma City Thunder are a historic regular-season team. They broke a number of records over the course of the 2024-25 season, including the highest net rating ever. They also boast the league’s best defense, with a rating of 107.6. Taking all this into account, it’s pretty easy to see how one may struggle to score or create chances against their defense, and that’s exactly what happened to Anthony Edwards in Game 4.
Game 4 saw Ant-Man score just 16 points on 13 shots and 38% shooting from the floor. No matter how you look at it, that is not a respectable outcome for a superstar of his calibre.
Following the clash, in his usual unbashful way, former NBA player Kendrick Perkins came to the Edwards’ defense. Perkins stated that the loss was more about the way the OKC Thunder approached the game, rather than any deficiencies of the Wolves’ guard.
“They scored 126 points, they shot over 50% from the field, over 40% from the three, and they made him make the pass to make the others beat them,” he pointed out. “Look, we can’t be mad at Anthony Edwards.”
An NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, Perkins speaks from experience. Although he was never the go-to player on any of the teams he played for in the NBA, he was alongside several elite playmakers who guided their teams to success. These include the likes of Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook, to name just a few.
Drawing parallels, Perkins mentioned that even Nikola Jokić, the clear best player in the world, struggled against the Thunder’s defense earlier in the playoffs. Ultimately, the OKC game plan for Ant worked to perfection.
Detailing one of the many defensive actions that Ant faced, the former NBA big man stated, “Lu Dort is a linebacker fighting through screens and staying connected. Chet Holmgren did a great job of hedging out. He split it, but look at Alex Caruso, the unsung hero. All of a sudden, they hitting the floor and diving for the loose balls.”
Not mincing his words, Perkins also highlighted the disparity between the support that Edwards received and that of the league’s MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “SGA actually, his number two came to play, so that relieved pressure off SGA and allowed him to cook.”
Of course, he has a point there, too. SGA and his 2nd in command, Jalen Williams, combined for 74 points. On the other hand, Ant and Julius Randle combined for 21. Sure, the Wolves’ bench more than made up for the points disparity, with Nickeil Alexander Walker and Jaden McDaniels combining for 55 points, but the bench can only take you so far.
If your stars are unable to get going, 9 times out of 10, you are destined for a loss, and that is exactly what happened to the Wolves.
