The Minnesota Timberwolves captured a bittersweet victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, advancing them to the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Minnesota closed out the Nuggets in a shocking six games despite stars Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo suffering major same-game injuries.
In Game 4, Edwards sustained a knee injury just one quarter after DiVincenzo ruptured his Achilles tendon.
DiVincenzo now faces a potentially yearlong road to full recovery. The Wolves hope Edwards can return from injury sometime this postseason.
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 25: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates his three-point basket against the Denver Nuggets.
Edwards, 24, suffered the injury landing harshly after trying to contest Denver forward Cam Johnson’s layup. The result was a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise.
Just when it felt like Minnesota was destined to launch into another deep postseason run, it now faces a tall second round task against the 62-win San Antonio Spurs.
Clearly, the Wolves’ chances to advance to the Western Conference finals have been greatly trimmed after Edwards’ injury.
Edwards is a multi-Time NBA All-Star and the driving force of a team that seeks to make a conference finals appearance for a third year in row.
Any Hope Over Anthony Edwards’ Return This Spring?
There is hope Edwards returns this postseason if the Wolves are able to hang around.
Before incurring a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise, Edwards was already dealing with runner’s knee that began bothering him over the final weeks of the regular season.
Battling injuries to both knees, it’s safe to assume the 24-year-old Minnesota star will need significant time off before he returns to full health.
In an appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show,” NBA insider Brian Windhorst gave some deeper insight on Edwards’ injury and when the star guard could return to the court.
“Edwards is in recovery mode, he’s not even in ramp up mode,” Windhorst said. “Ant has shown [he can] bounce back from injuries before in a way that is almost superhuman. I’m not gonna speculate there. I would just say the injury he has is an injury that, for most people, would hold them out of this round. [I’m] not saying he’s gonna miss this round … guys who’ve had this injury before, you are looking at multiple, multiple weeks.”
Can TWolves Continue to Roll?
Whether Edwards can again show he is an unusually fast healer remains to be seen. It certainly appears the All-Star guard will at least be sidelined for the first two games of the second round in San Antonio.
This is a tough reality for a team that found new spirit in the first round. This setback puts a major roadblock in Minnesota’s chances to go further.
Many were stunned to see the Wolves rush out to a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Nuggets, who were picked by many to at least appear in the Western Conference finals. Minnesota got that lead with a mostly available Edwards, even though he was hobbled entering the series. But that makes it all the more astonishing to see what the Wolves just pulled off.
With no Edwards and certainly no DiVincenzo, who has freshly begun his rehab after undergoing a procedure to repair his Achilles tendon, the Wolves will have to muster up some extra spirit if it hopes to continue winning big games.
This will be a tough mountain to climb.
Anthony Edwards Injury: More News Surface Ahead of Wolves-Spurs Game 1