Suns get last laugh as karma comes back to bite Anthony Edwards in the end

Three years ago, the Mavericks blew out the Phoenix Suns in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs, 123-90. Anthony Edwards posted a video on his Instagram story of the third quarter when the Suns had only 36 points, saying that the game was a "disgrace."

Oh, how the tables have turned. Minnesota and Oklahoma City faced off in the Western Conference Finals. With the Thunder up 3-1, the Timberwolves folded with their season on the line in a 124-94 blowout loss. The game was over not long after it began, as Minnesota had only nine points at the end of the first quarter.

Edwards finished with 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting in Game 5. He posted a team-worst +/- of -29. With the chance to tie the series at 2-2 in Game 4, Edwards finished with 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting. He couldn't recreate the 32-point magic he had in Minnesota's lone win of the series in Game 3.

Last year, he drew comparisons to Michael Jordan and was dubbed the next face of the league. The Timberwolves exceeded expectations this year after their league-altering Karl-Anthony Towns trade before training camp, but Edwards ran out of gas again with Minnesota's season on the line. The Timberwolves need him to be better for them to have a chance to win a title.

Anthony Edwards learns hard lesson after Timberwolves' season ends with blowout loss

Edwards only thought he'd never be on the end of a loss like the one the Suns suffered in 2022. It's one thing to lose, but another to lose in such an embarrassing fashion. Edwards said after the loss that he was going to "work his butt off" during the offseason, adding nobody else was going to work as hard as him. That loss should stick with him for the rest of his career.

Phoenix fans recall how big a letdown it was, getting hyped up for Game 7, only for the Suns to forget to show up. Minnesota needed to win three straight games to advance to the NBA Finals, an impossible task. The Timberwolves bowed out well before they could force a Game 7, giving the Thunder a week off before the Finals begin.

Edwards is still one of the league's top young players. He thinks he's the best player in the NBA, period. His confidence (no matter how irrational it can be) is part of the reason he's in the league in the first place. His ego took a hit on Wednesday in what he can only hope won't be a situation he experiences again. Maybe Minnesota will try to put itself in a better position next season by trading for Kevin Durant. There's no telling what will happen in the ever-changing NBA.