Is there anything opposing defenses can truly do with Anthony Edwards? At some point, teams have to be asking themselves that question after another scintillating show put on display in the second half Saturday in San Antonio.

The Spurs sport the NBA’s third-best defense. It’s nearly impossible to score on them when Victor Wembanyama occupies floor space.

Yet the Timberwolves superstar guard shredded San Antonio over the final two quarters. The Spurs, who led by 25 at the break, held on for a three-point victory, but only after surrendering 39 second-half points to Edwards, easily the most in a single half in the association this season.

The guard — who scored a career-high 55 points in the game — drilled eight triples over the final two frames, including five in a 26-point final frame that nearly sparked yet another remarkable come-from-behind victory.

“Made big shot after big shot,” Wolves coach Chris Finch told reporters. “He was inspirational.”

The performance came just a week after Edwards scored nine points in the final 5 minutes, 18 seconds in Minneapolis – including the game winner with 16 seconds to play – to down the Spurs at Target Center.

Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts after hitting a three but not getting a foul called on the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Frost Bank Center on January 17, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

Saturday was far more spectacular, as Edwards dissected one of the league’s best defenses with near surgical precision. When Wembanyama was on the floor, Edwards repeatedly fired off largely open step-in triples against the Frenchman’s drop pick-and-roll coverage.

When Wembanyama sat or when San Antonio pressed Edwards off the arc – a consistent defensive approach he faced in last year’s playoffs – Edwards looked for opportunities to attack the rim. When the lane was clogged, he found space for his mid-range jumper.

Each of those makes left Spurs defenders to either laugh in disbelief or star defeatedly into space.

When the Spurs finally started outright double-teaming Edwards, he got off the ball quickly, which resulted in multiple open 3-point attempts for Donte DiVincenzo.

Every question San Antonio asked of Edwards, he answered correctly and with clarity. Combine that with his supreme skill and shot making, and the Spurs’ only solution was to hit enough shots of their old to hold on.

Edwards has long been a supreme scorer, but the specific shot skills he’s added over the last two offseasons – combined with a renewed commitment to his finishing around the rim – has rendered the guard relatively unguardable.

When Edwards is highly motivated to score, he does so at will.

It’s why he touts the best true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentages in the NBA in clutch time this season – when games are within five points in margin with fewer than five minutes to play in regulation. He’s shooting 71% from the field and 61% from distance in that setting.

When Minnesota desperately needs points to win a game – particularly a game Edwards himself desperately wants to win – the 24 year old delivers.

There are 65 cases this year of NBA players scoring 25-plus points in the second half of a game – Edwards is responsible for five of them, which ties him with Cleveland guard Donovan Mitchell for the league lead.

For reference, Gilgeous-Alexander has just one such second half (though, to be fair, the Thunder didn’t play many competitive games over their first 30 contests), the same number as Lakers wing Luka Doncic.

Edwards has played 19.5-plus second half minutes on 10 occasions this season, and has 23-plus points in six of those halves.

Winning time is his time. Edwards told reporters after Saturday’s game that he gets up to face Wembanyama, the supposed next face of the league. Any added motivation typically pushes Edwards’ cup of competitive juices over the edge, and sets off a combustion of dominant basketball.

Those chemical reactions are getting far more dangerous for opponents with each passing season, which bodes well for Minnesota’s chances at making another deep playoff run this spring, and strikes fear into the heart of every possible Western Conference opponent in Edwards’ potential path of destruction.

San Antonio included.

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