Sometimes the smallest details say the most about a playoff series. In this case, Anthony Edwards said he was doing more than just watching from afar when Karl-Anthony Towns faced the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. He was helping Towns prepare, offering matchup advice before every game and even checking in after one game at about 3 in the morning.
Edwards made the comments on Friday at Fanatics Fest in New York City, and the story he told was simple enough: he was trying to give his former teammate an edge against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. According to Edwards, the advice centered on which players liked to go which ways and on how to approach Wemby. His description of it as a "little cheat code" captured the spirit of it well. This was not a grand scouting overhaul. It was a targeted piece of knowledge from someone who knew both Towns and the opponent well enough to make the conversation useful.
That matters because playoff series are often decided by information as much as talent. The New York Knicks needed five games to take down the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, but Edwards' account adds another layer to the story: Towns was getting help that went beyond the usual coach-player dynamic. In a league where preparation is constant and every possession gets dissected, an extra voice with specific insights can be meaningful, especially against a player as unique as Wembanyama.
Edwards also said he talked to Towns before every game against San Antonio, which suggests the exchange was not a one-off gesture. It was repeated, game-specific and rooted in the details that matter most in a series like this. The fact that he FaceTimed Towns after a game at around 3 in the morning only reinforces how unusual, and how personal, the whole thing was.
For Towns, the best sign may be the simplest one Edwards offered: he passed the test. Whether the advice changed individual possessions is impossible to measure from the outside, but the broader point is clear. Edwards saw a matchup problem, shared what he knew and watched his former teammate work through it. In a postseason built on adjustments, that is the kind of behind-the-scenes edge that can quietly shape a series.
