Anthony Edwards set a new bar for rookie scoring excellence in dropping 40 on the Suns in a 123-119 victory.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have seen 12 top-five Draft picks suit up for the franchise during its 32-year history.
None of them — or any other Timberwolves rookie for that matter — scored as many points in his rookie season as Anthony Edwards did on Thursday night.
Anthony Edwards is now the 3rd No. 1 overall pick in the last 20 seasons to score 40+ points in a game as a rookie, joining Blake Griffin (twice) and LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/Buz9g2hTih
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) March 19, 2021
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 draft poured in a career-high 42 points in Minnesota’s stunning 123-119 win against the Phoenix Suns. The performance bests previous Timberwolves rookie nights by Zach LaVine (37), Karl-Anthony Towns (35), and Christian Laettner (35), and also surpasses Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey for most points scored by a first-year player this season.
At 19 years and 226 days old, Edwards becomes the third-youngest player in NBA history to score 40 or more in a game, trailing only LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Edwards is also the first rookie to score 40 or more points in a game since Grayson Allen dropped 40 on the LA Clippers as a rookie with the Utah Jazz on April 10, 2019.
Special Special @theantedwards_ https://t.co/066ASGbHBu
— Amir Abdur-Rahim (@sunsetAMIR) March 15, 2021
Youngest players to score 40 or more
| PLAYER | AGE | DATE |
| LeBron James | 19 years, 88 days | March 27, 2004 |
| Kevin Durant | 19 years, 200 days | April 16, 2008 |
| Anthony Edwards | 19 years, 225 days | March 18, 2021 |
| Carmelo Anthony | 19 years, 306 days | March 30, 2004 |
