Anthony Edwards pulled no punches Saturday night about the struggle he faced after the Miami Heat vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game.
The Timberwolves star dropped 33 points in Miami’s loss, but his postgame comments stole the spotlight because of his praise for Davion Mitchell, and it was not any ordinary endorsement.
Anthony Edwards on Why Davion Mitchell Forces Him to Prioritize Sleep Before Matchups
Mitchell’s “Off Night” nickname tells the full story of why Ant had a frightening feeling about the Heat’s guard. Mitchell got this moniker during his second year at Baylor when he guarded NBA lottery prospects who consistently had a terrible night against him before and after every game.
The Heat acquired the 27-year-old in the Jimmy Butler trade. With him averaging a career-high 31.5 minutes per game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra finally has his point-of-attack defender back.
And Edwards knows Mitchell’s game intimately because they’ve matched up 13 times since 2021, and Mitchell forced Ant-Man to work for every bucket, and Edwards went through the same survival strategy on Saturday night.
Following Wolves’ 125-115 victory, Edwards shared his fear and praise for Mitchell’s defensive accuracy. “I just try to get as much sleep as possible because Davion Mitchell always gives me a hard time,” Edwards said.
He added, “I try to get in bed by like 9:30 because I know it’s going to be a long day he’s going to chase me around so I had to be ready.”
Anthony Edwards says he has to get extra sleep anytime he plays Davion Mitchell 🔥
“I just try to get as much sleep as possible because Davion Mitchell always gives me a hard time. I try to get in bed by like 9:30 because I know it’s going to be a long day he’s going to chase me… https://t.co/1hWFRfLBIl pic.twitter.com/EBWa9OKzuF
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 4, 2026
This season, elite scorers are shooting just 32.8% with 15 turnovers against Mitchell in 413 partial possessions. That’s Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton and Edwards all struggling. Ant eventually hit his scoring averages but earned every point through blood and sweat.
Last season, Mitchell held Edwards to just 13 points in one game. That kind of performance earns a permanent shout-out. Ant knows what’s coming every time he faces Miami, so he makes sure to get prepared.
Even LaMelo Ball and Cade Cunningham can’t figure him out correctly. With Mitchell on the floor during his Kings tenure, Sacramento’s defensive rating dropped from 115.4 to 111.8. That’s a massive swing. His impact goes beyond individual matchups.
Safe to say, Miami’s defense just got scarier with Mitchell giving Spoelstra a weapon to deploy against the league’s best scorers.
