In the aftermath of a 40-point scoring night over the Mavericks, star guard Anthony Edwards gave a special message to Daniel Gafford. Clearly unimpressed with his effort on defense, Ant expressed regret over not making Gafford pay when he had the chance.

“I feel like I had my legs. I should’ve dunked on Gafford,” said Edwards. “I hope you see this. I should’ve punched on your a**, but I spared you.”

It’s been a rough season for the Mavericks, and their encounter with the Timberwolves last night didn’t make it any better. In the 122-111 win, Edwards lit up the box score with 40 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal, and zero blocks on 53.3% shooting and 38.5% shooting from three.

In the post-game interview, Edwards made it sound like he “spared” Gafford, but, in reality, it looks like he just whiffed on the dunk attempt. While he gets a lot of airtime on the play, he wasn’t quite able to complete the dunk, thanks to some contact from Gafford that went uncalled.

This angle of Anthony Edwards’ poster over Daniel Gafford is INSANE 🤯pic.twitter.com/0i6cjzTzE0 https://t.co/iWfnzKPpNR

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 27, 2024

Of course, fans were quick to point out that Edwards already has a poster on Gafford. During a game back in May of 2024, Edwards impressed with a nasty slam over the Mavericks’ big man that still holds up today.

Anthony Edwards poster dunk attempt + Rudy Gobert dunk pic.twitter.com/JNZyF0P5S0

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) February 21, 2026

While Edwards may reject being the face of the NBA, he’s one of its brightest rising stars with a fierce competitive spirit and an electric personality. As his opponents quickly find out, Edwards is a killer on the basketball court who looks for any excuse to play with extra aggression.

It’s unknown what Gafford did to get on his bad side, but Edwards has made it clear that he’s going to get his revenge. The 24-year-old star is only in his sixth season, but he’s already emerged as one of the NBA’s best players with averages of 24.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 45.2% shooting from the field and 40.1% shooting from three.

At 35-22, the Timberwolves are right in the thick of the Western Conference standings, and any losing streaks from here could have massive implications on their overall position heading into the playoffs. For Edwards, the important thing is not what he does now, it’s what he’s able to do in April, May, and June. Following back-to-back runs to the Conference Finals, we know Edwards is good to lead them deep into the postseason, but they’ll need something more to truly get over the hump.