“Shai not even close to him”: NBA fans crown Anthony Edwards as premier guard with 41-point spectacle 

Anthony Edwards exploded for 41 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Portland Trail Blazers 121-109 at the Moda Center on Tuesday. The mercurial guard shot 16-27 from the field and 4-8 from beyond the arc as the visitors consolidated their top spot in the West, heading into the All-Star break. His efforts saw fans draw parallels to OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with some opining that Edwards was the better of the two. In related news, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 32 points to help Oklahoma prop up a 127-113 win over the Orlando Magic.

Coming back, one of the fans minced no words, calling Edwards the better guard and that Gilgeous-Alexander wasn't even close.

"Shai not even close to him."

More fans responded with their thoughts on Edwards' stellar outing:

NBA fans crowned Anthony Edwards as the better guard over Shai-Gilgeous Alexander

Edwards' 41 points were coupled with four rebounds and two assists. Bagging a little bit of the spotlight was Nickeil Alexander-Walker who hit four timely 3-pointers and finished with 18 points. Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert had 13 and 16 points each. For the Blazers, center Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 16 boards, while Anfernee Simons chipped in with 20 points and five assists.

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Paul George loves the rivalry between Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Keeping tabs on the rivalry between Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's rivalry is LA Clippers superstar Paul George. On his latest episode of Podcast P with Paul George, the guard shared his thoughts on the growing rivalry between the two young guns.

“I love that rivalry between SGA and Ant. Those two are gonna be fun two to track and follow through the rest of their careers. Especially with them being in the west," George said.

Both players have been on a tear this season for their respective teams. Edwards made the All-Star reserves after averaging 26.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists this season, while Gilgeous-Alexander has fared relatively better with 32.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists. He joins LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic as the starters in the West following his scintillating run.

The two guards have been instrumental in their teams' run, with Minnesota taking the top spot. The Thunder briefly took the honors but were quickly pushed to third place with the Clippers' surge. Both teams are sure-shot playoff contenders, and only time will tell if Anthony Edwards or Gilgeous-Alexander can lead their sides to a title. For now, their rivalry is one to watch out for.