UNPACKING THE TEAM USA BLUEPRINT THAT TRANSFORMED ANTHONY EDWARDS INTO A SHARPSHOOTER
Anthony Edwards cements his superstar status with 42 points as the Warriors crumble without the injured Stephen Curry.
Stephen Curry walked over to congratulate Anthony Edwards after the Timberwolves took down the Warriors. You could see the mutual respect. Edwards has made it clear for years that he admires Curry. But that doesn’t mean he held anything back. Not even close.
Curry was stuck on the bench again Friday night, forced to watch while Edwards took command. The Timberwolves star lit up the Warriors for 42 points, powering Minnesota to a 127-117 win in San Francisco. After hitting a big corner three and pushing the lead to 62-46, Edwards couldn’t resist glancing at the Warriors’ bench, catching Curry’s eye. The message wasn’t subtle.
“That’s my boy,” Edwards said later. “I love Steph. Love everything about him. Greatest point guard to me. I always want to play against him. Is he not out there? Well, I’ll talk a little trash with him on the side.”
It’s no secret Golden State misses its leader. The loss was their fourth in a row and dropped them to just 5-11 since Curry went out with a runner’s knee and a bone bruise on his right leg. Every game without him hurts more.
With the season winding down and just 16 games left, the Warriors are hanging on to the 9th spot in the West by half a game over Portland. Curry’s uncertain return only adds to the anxiety. Head coach Steve Kerr admits this long layoff has hit the two-time MVP hard.
“He wants to be out there for his guys. This injury has lasted longer than people expected,” Kerr said in a recent radio interview. “He’s dying to play.”
But the Warriors aren’t taking any risks. Curry’s out for at least five more games as he works his way back. The team insists they want him all the way healthy, even if it means writing off this season for another shot next year.
“Next season’s become the season in this last Steph era,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater said. The Warriors aren’t willing to gamble on Curry’s future: “From what I’ve heard, there’s real fear that rushing him back could make things worse.”
While Curry watched, Edwards simply put on a show. He nailed 4 of 9 from deep and racked up eight rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block. Minnesota really needed it too; they’d dropped three straight, and Edwards looked every bit like a future superstar.
Funny enough, he almost didn’t play. He’d popped up on the injury report as questionable just hours before tip-off, but the chance to play under the lights in Curry’s building? Too good to pass up.
“I’ve learned a lot from him since Team USA,” Edwards said. “It’s always fun when we’re in the same arena.”
Edwards shared a quick story from their Team USA days, too. “He’s super cool,” Edwards said with a grin. “Honestly, he doesn’t know much rap music. The team would play something; I think it was BossManDlow, and Steph’s just like, ‘Who’s that?’ Got a good laugh out of me.”
Asked if he tried schooling Curry on music, Edwards shrugged. “I just do me. He does him. That’s probably why we get along.”
Friday night, it was impossible to ignore how different those two careers felt in that moment, Edwards flying around, raising the Timberwolves’ energy, while Curry sat confined to the bench, wishing he could change the script. For a Warriors team barely holding onto playoff hopes, the contrast couldn’t have felt sharper.
IRELAND LIFT TRIPLE CROWN AFTER THRASHING SCOTLAND 43-21 AT THE AVIVA
Andy Farrell hails Ireland’s "wild" journey as they secure their fourth Triple Crown in five years with a win over Scotland.
Andy Farrell couldn’t hide how proud he was after Ireland’s 43-21 win over Scotland sealed another Triple Crown, their fourth in five years. With the bonus-point victory, Ireland jumped ahead in the Six Nations standings, topping the table at 19 points and putting pressure on France. Now, it’s all down to the game in Paris, where they need England to keep France to two points or less to snag the championship.
But, to be honest, that scoreboard math didn’t kill the mood at Aviva Stadium. Beating Scotland in a blazing Triple Crown decider and lifting the trophy in front of a packed, roaring home crowd – that’s what everyone felt.
Think about how far they came. After that rough opening loss to France, not many saw this coming: four wins on the spin and another finish in the top two. That consistency isn’t easy.
Farrell summed up the group’s journey, too: “It’s been a wild eight weeks. Winning is great, but looking at what we’ve been through – a bunch of new faces, a handful of first Six Nations campaigns, and pushing things right down to the wire for some guys – it means even more. They’ve stuck together and learned a lot. That’s what’ll make us stronger.”
Ireland has now beaten Scotland twelve times in a row, and it’s hard to remember the last time the Scots came to Dublin with genuine optimism; they’ve barely won here since 1998. They gave it a real go, though. Scotland scored three tries and had more of the ball over 23 minutes of possession, but Ireland’s defence was relentless. They made 232 tackles.
“That’s why it feels so good,” Farrell said. “Scotland played really well. They kept coming at us, non-stop, but we were ruthless when it mattered and finished our chances.”
With the scoreline stuck at 26-21 in the 65th minute, Farrell rolled the dice and sent on six players at once: Milne, Kelleher, Bealham, Timoney, Frawley, and Aki. He joked that the only plan was making sure Bundee Aki didn’t get all the cheers to himself.
Bringing on Aki and handing a debut to 24-year-old Darragh Murray meant Farrell used 35 players in this Six Nations campaign more than ever before. Between that and the run of injuries, he got a good look at Ireland’s depth.
He was quick to praise Murray, especially the young lock’s try, charge down, and lineout work. Milne and Tom O’Toole got credit too, with O’Toole putting in 21 tackles in just his second Irish start.
“It’s amazing what he’s done,” Farrell said about O’Toole. “He should be seriously proud. That’s not an easy position to step into, and to handle the scrum the way he did, you could see how much it meant.”
And then there’s Stu McCloskey, who Farrell said should absolutely be in player-of-the-tournament conversations. “Five straight games at that level – that’s big. He’s doing it because the squad is so tight, so connected.”
Farrell also pointed out how well Caelan Doris played, calling it possibly the best of his career, even if Doris interrupted to remind everyone about two penalties, not just one.
Honestly, this whole eight-week stretch meant a lot to the group. Farrell said it best: all he feels is pride.
The noise at Aviva told its own story. After the win at Twickenham earlier in the tournament, the Irish supporters belted out “The Fields of Athenry” late in the game, and fans did it again here when Timoney and Beirne grabbed a turnover near the end. Farrell credited Doris and the team for getting the crowd fired up: "It’s our job to make that happen, and the noise tonight was something else. That’s what we want: everyone in it together."
The team headed upstairs to celebrate. And for once, they found themselves hoping for an England win – strange for an Irish side, but that’s what was on the menu. Doris put it simply: “We are tonight." It’s pretty unusual to cheer for England as an Irishman, but we’ll do it. Have a few beers, enjoy the Triple Crown, and then tune into Paris.”
Ireland has only won 15 Triple Crowns in 143 years, but nine since 2004. The players know how special that is. For the moment, they’re just soaking it in, watching, hoping, and enjoying what they’ve earned.
JOHN SCHNEIDER ADMITS NEW MILLIONAIRE TAX WILL "STING" SEAHAWKS’ FREE AGENCY MOVES
John Schneider warns that Washington's new 9.9% millionaire tax will severely "sting" the Seahawks' ability to sign talent.
The Seattle Seahawks, fresh off a Super Bowl win, are really pushing back against Washington state’s proposed “millionaire tax". They say it’s going to make it harder to attract top talent, especially free agents.
For years, Washington hasn’t touched income tax, especially not on salaries. But now, with a budget shortfall, lawmakers are talking about a 10% annual tax for people earning at least $1 million. The crazy part? The NFL minimum salary is almost there already: $885,000. Most Seahawks players would get hit by this tax.
That’s a big shift. Right now, Seattle is one of just eight NFL teams with no state income tax, and that’s always been a selling point for players. General manager John Schneider mentioned that agents have already started texting him, basically saying, “Well, there goes your recruiting advantage.” He said it’s always helped, especially when competing with teams in California, where taxes are brutal.
“This is really going to sting,” Schneider admitted. Guys like Mike Reinfeldt, Mickey Loomis, and any Seahawks cap wizard who’s been around have probably all had the same reaction. Seattle’s edge is fading fast.
Honestly, there’s still a silver lining: Washington’s proposed income tax is lower than California’s top rate, which hits 13.3% for million-dollar earners. But that’s not much comfort if you’re used to paying nothing at all.
If the tax passes, the extra revenue will go to things like school meals, childcare, family tax credits, and cutting sales taxes on some items to boost consumer spending. The state House has passed the bill, and now it’s bouncing back to the Senate for review. Governor Bob Ferguson says he’s on board.
Besides Seattle, the Raiders, Texans, Cowboys, Titans, Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Jaguars also play in states with no income tax. That list might get shorter.
The timing isn’t great for Seattle, either. The Seahawks just lost the Super Bowl MVP. Kenneth Walker III to the Chiefs: Kansas City offered him a three-year, $43 million deal. Losing their tax advantage? That could make moves like that happen even more.
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