Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama, two former No. 1 picks, starred in a huge battle Saturday night. Edwards’ Minnesota Timberwolves visited the Wembanyama-led San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center, eager to sweep the regular-season matchup.
San Antonio got the edge 126-123 after the two young stars went at it in the fourth quarter. The Spurs finally got one win over the Wolves after a remarkable matchup.
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Edwards, who scored 55 points, highlighted his duel with Wembanyama, noting that he wanted to play 1-on-1 with the Frenchman when they started exchanging buckets.
“I loved it. I wish we could’ve just moved everybody out of the way and just checked up and me versus him,” Edwards said.
"They've got Wemby…"⬇️
-Asked Anthony Edwards what it is about the #Spurs that brings out some of his best
About going toe-to-toe w/Vic…
"I love it. I wish we could've just move everybody out of the way…me vs. him"
On who would win 1-1 in that scenario
"Me"
-Ant#PorVida pic.twitter.com/45Ey2TtUbi
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) January 18, 2026
Asked who would win that matchup, Edwards naturally picked himself. He played 40 minutes, scoring a career-high points (19 of 33 from the field and 9 of 16 from deep), adding four rebounds and three assists.
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Wembanyama responded with a more efficient statline, dropping 39 points (12 of 23 from the floor and 4 of 9 from beyond the arc) on 31 minutes, adding nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
The duels between these two stars have become better over time. Edwards expressed his frustration with not being able to guard Wembanyama in a 5-on-5 situation, but he is confident he can take him out in a 1-on-1 setup.
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The Spurs star also showed his appreciation for battling against Anthony Edwards.
“It’s an honor and it’s the best thing to have the best players go as hard as they can,” Wembanyama said, via The Athletic. “First of all, it makes us better, it makes me better. And it’s a show of respect, of progress stepping up because now the standings make us that we are a respectable team.”
These two teams won’t clash in the regular season again. However, it looks like they, alongside the Denver Nuggets, will be a real threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder come the playoffs.
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