"Not Kevin Hart talking smack and then looking at Lisa Leslie": Stephen A. Smith challenges Anthony Edwards to deliver

Anthony Edwards raised some eyebrows with his "I got Kyrie" comments ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves' Western Conference finals Game 1 matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. However, Edwards' subpar performance in that first meeting left much to be desired. Ahead of Game 2, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith issued a challenge for "Ant-Man" to step it up.

This year's postseason run has been a special showing for Anthony Edwards in his team's quest for a championship. However, when it comes to basketball, a superstar must be able to walk the talk on the court with the same level of confidence.

Additionally, Smith issued his challenge to Edwards on a live segment of ESPN's "First Take," with a pivotal Game 2 matchup awaiting Minnesota. Hilariously, Smith pointed out that the comment made by the Timberwolves guard is not in the same context as when comedian Kevin Hart challenged WNBA legend Lisa Leslie during a pick-up game from the movie "Think Like A Man."

"If you going to call out somebody like Kyrie," Smith said, "say you want him to guard you, say you're the one that's going to drop 40 or something like that. But to sit up and say I got him, you understand what I'm saying? I mean this is not Kevin Hart talking smack and then looking at Lisa Leslie in the movie and say I got her. You know this is not that no."

Compared to Hart being confident in matching up against the caliber of Lisa Leslie, it was already a given that it wouldn't end well for the comedian, even if it was for comedic purposes in a film. However, Anthony Edwards challenged one of the most skilled offensive players in the league today in the atmosphere of the NBA playoffs.

To start Game 1 in the third round of the postseason, Kyrie Irving put on a show on the road when he dropped a 30-point performance while adding five rebounds.

Interestingly, the Timberwolves star has an opportunity to bounce back tonight with a much-needed electric performance to strengthen his previous comments.

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Anthony Edwards calls Minnesota Timberwolves' WCF Game 1 performance "flat"

After the 108-105 Game 1 loss to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, Anthony Edwards was not too pleased with the team's performance in front of their home crowd. Edwards only had a 19-point outing (37.5% shooting).

"We came out flat today," Edwards said. "We found our energy, but then we went back to being flat. Everything was on us today. I didn't get downhill as much, just stuff like that. We was still just a little tired, probably."

Coming off a subpar Game 7 performance against the Denver Nuggets in the second-round series, it was another tough night for him offensively.

For his team to have any chance of coming out of the Western Conference, Anthony Edwards needs to remain focused amid his recent shooting struggles.