The Los Angeles Lakers’ season collapsed under the bright lights of Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night, and Anthony Edwards made sure to pour gasoline on the fire. The Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated LA in Game 5 with a 103-96 win, advancing to the next round and sending LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and their lofty championship dreams packing. But it wasn’t just the win that grabbed headlines — it was Edwards’ postgame smoke for ESPN analysts and a surprising apology from Celtics legend that set the internet ablaze.

Despite shooting 0-for-11 from three, Edwards made his biggest statement off the court, not on it. In a post-game YouTube video, Ant tore into the national media, singling out Stephen A. Smith and his $20 million career, as well as the ESPN crew for counting him and the Timberwolves out from the jump.

In his post-game breakdown, Edwards didn’t hold back. “Stephen [A. Smith], he had all the writers that get a vote on ESPN,” Edwards said. “It was seven [people]. They had Lakers in six, Lakers in seven, Lakers in five, Lakers in four… Nobody had one. Not one person.”

The disrespect lit a fire under the All-Star guard, who played with a chip on his shoulder the entire series. It’s not just that the Lakers were favored — it’s that everyone assumed the Timberwolves were just a speed bump. That narrative aged poorly. Edwards continued, “You know what really turned me up, Donald T? You know what really turned me up? Paul Pierce.”

The mention of Pierce sparked immediate curiosity. Why would a Celtics great — a fellow Team USA alum — rub Ant the wrong way?

Paul Pierce Backs Down, Issues Public Apology

Turns out, even Paul Pierce didn’t believe in Ant before the series tipped off. But after watching the Wolves dominate, he quickly had a change of heart. In an Instagram video, Pierce publicly apologized to Edwards: “Hey, hold on, Ant-Man, my bad bro. I knew you was a dog. I didn’t know you was a dog-dog, I thought you was going to go out broad like that… but I see you. You from the old school… That’s how you play, my boy. And that’s how I play, my boy. So my bad. My bad, bro… Dog-dog. God damn. My bad, bro.”

The respect was too little, too late for Ant-Man, who made sure to expose every doubter, from Stephen A. Smith’s panel to ex-NBA legends, in front of millions. And he had every right to.

While Edwards didn’t have his best shooting night in Game 5, the Wolves didn’t need him to. Rudy Gobert delivered a monster performance with 27 points and 24 rebounds. Julius Randle was a matchup nightmare. Luka Doncic dropped 28 points despite battling a back injury, and LeBron James added 22. Still, LA couldn’t close — again.

Minnesota mercilessly exploited the Lakers’ flaws, especially in the fourth quarter. They were outscored 127-85 in fourth quarters throughout the series, shooting just 29% in those critical moments. The Wolves, on the other hand, turned in an old-school beat down, winning the rebound battle 54-27 and outscoring the Lakers in the paint 56-40.

And while ESPN’s pre-series panel was busy making predictions rooted in superstardom, Anthony Edwards and the Wolves were grinding out wins with grit and depth. That’s the part most analysts missed.

In one brutal post-game video, Ant not only eliminated the Lakers — he torched the credibility of Stephen A. Smith’s entire $20 million media empire. The Timberwolves weren’t just overlooked — they were blatantly disrespected. And Edwards made sure that everybody, from ESPN insiders to Hall of Famers like Paul Pierce, got the memo: He’s not just a star. He’s a dog-dog.