Anthony Edwards Calls Out Heat Reserve for 'Talking Pretty Crazy' During T-Wolves' Blowout Win

Not that Anthony Edwards needs additional motivation to play basketball, but a Miami Heat player may have pushed the Minnesota Timberwolves star to go even further in his 45-point outing in a 131-106 win on Wednesday night.

Speaking to reporters after Minnesota's victory, Edwards called out a Heat bench player for "talking pretty crazy" at one point during the game.

"A player on their bench was talking trash in one of the dead-ball situations," Edwards said. "I think it kind of crunk me up. He was talking pretty crazy."

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Edwards couldn't identify the player from where he was at, but indications are it was Myron Gardner. The Heat, according to the Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang, did not make Gardner available to the media after practice on Thursday.

Edwards added things got quiet on the Miami bench after he started engaging with them.

"When I start talking to him, he didn't really have too much more to say. I don't really like that," he said. "If you gonna talk s--t, keep talking s--t. Don't get quiet. I think that was pretty much the reason why I was super intense tonight."

Gardner is in his second season with the Heat. He was undrafted out of Little Rock in 2023 and spent two seasons in the G League with the Orlando Magic affiliate in Osceola.

"I love Myron's competitive spirit and he wants to infuse energy into the group," head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters on Thursday. "Also have to be smart about it. I particularly don't want him talking trash to the other team's best scorers, especially when he's not out there. But he's got a good heart. He means the right thing. He'll be better."

The Heat signed Gardner to their Summer League team in 2025. He signed a standard three-year contract with Miami in February. The 25-year-old played just three minutes on Wednesday night.

If the Heat were trying to get under Edwards' skin, it failed spectacularly. He put up 45 points on 16-of-29 shooting (9-of-17 from three) and grabbed 10 rebounds in just 33 minutes.

Edwards joined Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to have multiple 40-point games in the season opener for his team. He put up 41 last year in a 118-114 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The historic night for Edwards spoiled Giannis Antetokounmpo's Heat debut after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.