Anthony Edwards is 'just trying to be a pest' to LeBron James. The T-wolves won't back down from LA

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards learned a lot from LeBron James and the other elders on Team USA at the Olympics last summer, yet more fuel for the bouncy, energetic and brash Minnesota Timberwolves guard in his journey to becoming one of the best players in the game.

The presence of James and his Los Angeles Lakers has been bringing out the best in Edwards in these NBA playoffs, too.

With 43 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the 116-113 comeback victory in Game 4 on Sunday, Edwards led the Timberwolves to a 3-1 lead in the first-round series.

“We played together at USA, and he was like a big brother to me. He looked out for me. He helped me out a lot with IQ and reading the game and everything,” Edwards said, before flashing a smile. “Just trying to be a pest to him out there.”

Edwards had 10 points, two assists and a steal over the final 4:21 of the second quarter to spur a 19-8 run by the Wolves. He picked up his only two fouls during that stretch, too, both while closely guarding James while he had the ball. On the first one, he delivered several exaggerated forearm shoves at James to try to establish his position before the whistle finally blew.

After his slick pass off a drive to the paint that set up Julius Randle for a layup, Edwards was jawing at James as he bobbed his head on the way back. A few minutes later, Edwards drained a 3-pointer that brought the Wolves within 55-52 before he turned to talk trash to the Lakers who were on the bench.

“It's going to be physical, man,” Edwards said. “I wouldn’t say I was trying to make a point. Just letting him know that we here: ‘You ain’t just going to push around all night.’”

For the second straight game, the Wolves dominated down the stretch to continue a timely reversal of their regular season trend. The Wolves have outscored the Lakers in the fourth quarter of every game, by a total of 105-69 including a 32-19 edge in Game 4. They finished Game 3 on a 13-1 run.

Edwards has naturally had his hand in all of the rallies, but not simply as a scorer. Teammate Naz Reid, who had eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:21 remaining to make it 108-107, credited the time Edwards spent with Team USA for his late-game development.

“He knows he’s going to get doubled a lot, so he’s just believing in us and trusting in us,” Reid said. "He’s seen us put the work in, so I think he trusts us now.”

Edwards credited his commitment to film review and work with personal development coach Chris Hines for the clutch-time improvements.

“He’s been real meticulous with what he’s doing late in the games,” teammate Mike Conley said. “He’s taking his time, really sizing up the defense, understanding where guys are going to be on the court, taking what’s there and available.”

Edwards didn't attempt a single free throw in Game 3, and coach Chris Finch was asked before the game how the Lakers had been able to defend him without fouling.

“Well, they haven’t. He hasn’t gotten the whistle, but he’s done a really good job of managing his emotions around that," Finch said, a reference to Edwards leading the league in the dubious category of technical fouls during the regular season.

In Game 4, Edwards got plenty of whistles. He went 14 for 17 from the free-throw line, including a pair of makes with 10.7 seconds left after James was called for a foul on his arm that dislodged the ball from his hand as he drove to the basket and lost it out of bounds.

The initial call was Lakers ball, but a replay review confirmed the foul on James.

“I felt like the hand was a part of that ball,” James said, asserting that the rulebook should allow for that contact without a whistle. “I’ve seen that play over and over before, but it is what it is.”

Edwards upstaged two superstars on the other side — both James and Luka Doncic, who bounced back from a stomach bug that limited his energy in a lackluster Game 3.

Lakers coach J.J. Redick was so impressed by the 14-0 start by his team in the third quarter that he kept the entire lineup on the floor for the rest of the game — including the 40-year-old James and the recovering-from-illness Doncic along with Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith.

“This is the playoffs. Fatigue shouldn’t play any role in this,” Doncic said. “I played a lot of minutes, but that shouldn’t play a role. I think they just executed better on the defensive end during the last minute.”

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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) sits on the court after a collision with Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron Jame, bottom, try to grab possession of the ball during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates next to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) after making a 3-point shot during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates after making a 3-point shot during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) celebrates with guard Anthony Edwards (5) after making a 3-point shot during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates after making a 3-point shot during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) handles the ball as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) defends during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

U.S. forces have boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. The announcement was made Friday by the U.S. military. The Trump administration has been targeting sanctioned tankers traveling to and from Venezuela.

The pre-dawn action was carried out by U.S. Marines and Navy, taking part in the monthslong buildup of forces in the Caribbean, according to U.S. Southern Command, which declared “there is no safe haven for criminals” as it announced the seizure of the vessel called the Olina.

Navy officials couldn’t immediately provide details about whether the Coast Guard was part of the force that took control of the vessel as has been the case in the previous seizures. A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard said there was no immediate comment on the seizure.

The Olina is the fifth tanker that has been seized by U.S. forces as part of a broader effort by Trump’s administration to control the distribution of Venezuela’s oil products globally following the U.S. ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid.

The latest:

Richard Grenell, president of the Kennedy Center, says a documentary film about first lady Melania Trump will make its premiere later this month, posting a trailer on X.

As the Trumps prepared to return to the White House last year, Amazon Prime Video announced a year ago that it had obtained exclusive licensing rights for a streaming and theatrical release directed by Brett Ratner.

Melania Trump also released a self-titled memoir in late 2024.

Some artists have canceled scheduled Kennedy Center performances after a newly installed board voted to add President Donald Trump’s to the facility, prompting Grenell to accuse the performers of making their decisions because of politics.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum says that she has asked her foreign affairs secretary to reach out directly to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio or Trump regarding comments by the American leader that the U.S. cold begin ground attacks against drug cartels.

In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News aired Thursday night, Trump said, “We’ve knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water and we are going to start now hitting land, with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico. It’s very sad to watch.”

As she has on previous occasions, Sheinbaum downplayed the remarks, saying “it is part of his way of communicating.” She said she asked her Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente to strengthen coordination with the U.S.

Sheinbaum has repeatedly rebuffed Trump’s offer to send U.S. troops after Mexican drug cartels. She emphasizes that there will be no violation of Mexico’s sovereignty, but the two governments will continue to collaborate closely.

Analysts do not see a U.S. incursion in Mexico as a real possibility, in part because Sheinbaum’s administration has been doing nearly everything Trump has asked and Mexico is a critical trade partner.

Trump says he wants to secure $100 billion to remake Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, a lofty goal going into a 2:30 meeting on Friday with executives from leading oil companies. His plan rides on oil producers being comfortable in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

The president has said that the U.S. will control distribution worldwide of Venezuela’s oil and will share some of the proceeds with the country’s population from accounts that it controls.

“At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is banking on the idea that he can tap more of Venezuela’s petroleum reserves to keep oil prices and gasoline costs low.

At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

Trump is expected to meet with oil executives at the White House on Friday.

He hopes to secure $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s oil industry. The goal rides on the executives’ comfort with investing in a country facing instability and inflation.

Since a U.S. military raid captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has said there’s a new opportunity to use the country’s oil to keep gasoline prices low.

The full list of executives invited to the meeting has not been disclosed, but Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips are expected to attend.

Attorneys general in five Democratic-led states have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration after it said it would freeze money for several public benefit programs.

The Trump administration has cited concerns about fraud in the programs designed to help low-income families and their children. California, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois and New York states filed the lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The lawsuit asks the courts to order the administration to release the funds. The attorneys general have called the funding freeze an unconstitutional abuse of power.

Iran’s judiciary chief has vowed decisive punishment for protesters, signaling a coming crackdown against demonstrations.

Iranian state television reported the comments from Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei on Friday. They came after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized Trump’s support for the protesters, calling Trump’s hands “stained with the blood of Iranians.”

The government has shut down the internet and is blocking international calls. State media has labeled the demonstrators as “terrorists.”

The protests began over Iran’s struggling economy and have become a significant challenge to the government. Violence has killed at least 50 people, and more than 2,270 have been detained.

Trump questions why a president’s party often loses in midterm elections and suggests voters “want, maybe a check or something”

Trump suggested voters want to check a president’s power and that’s why they often deliver wins for an opposing party in midterm elections, which he’s facing this year.

“There’s something down, deep psychologically with the voters that they want, maybe a check or something. I don’t know what it is, exactly,” he said.

He said that one would expect that after winning an election and having “a great, successful presidency, it would be an automatic win, but it’s never been a win.”

Hiring likely remained subdued last month as many companies have sought to avoid expanding their workforces, though the job gains may be enough to bring down the unemployment rate.

December’s jobs report, to be released Friday, is likely to show that employers added a modest 55,000 jobs, economists forecast. That figure would be below November’s 64,000 but an improvement after the economy lost jobs in October. The unemployment rate is expected to slip to 4.5%, according to data provider FactSet, from a four-year high of 4.6% in November.

The figures will be closely watched on Wall Street and in Washington because they will be the first clean readings on the labor market in three months. The government didn’t issue a report in October because of the six-week government shutdown, and November’s data was distorted by the closure, which lasted until Nov. 12.

FILE - President Donald Trump dances as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)