Anthony Edwards did not leave San Antonio with much to celebrate after the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 126-97 Game 5 loss to the Spurs.
But he did get one thing he clearly wanted: time. And when he gets time, Edwards production is proven to be much better.
The Timberwolves now have two full days off before Game 6 in Minnesota, the only extended break in a second-round series that has become increasingly physical, increasingly lopsided in San Antonio and increasingly dependent on how much Edwards can carry while managing knee pain.
Edwards has played 41, 40 and 39 minutes over the past three games. Those are heavy minutes loads for the Timberwolves star that has been dealing with pain in both knees. Edwards appeared fatigued at times in Game 5 against the Spurs’ wave of athletes.
That makes the schedule break more than a small detail.
It may be Minnesota’s best chance to get a more explosive version of Edwards in an elimination game.
Anthony Edwards Has Two Full Days of Rest Before Timberwolves-Spurs Game 6
Edwards did not hide how much the break meant after Game 5.
“I’m so happy,” Edwards said, via ESPN. “I’m ready to get two days.”
Edwards’ workload has been climbing at the same time his efficiency and shot volume have become harder to sustain.
In Game 5, Edwards finished with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting in 39 minutes. That line was not disastrous, but the shot total was the issue. After attempting 22 and 26 shots in the previous two games, Edwards got up only 13 shots as San Antonio mixed in selective double-teams and forced the ball out of his hands. ESPN Research tracked 20 double-teams against Edwards in Game 5, with Minnesota scoring 13 points on those 20 possessions while committing five turnovers.
That is the tactical problem Minnesota must solve. The physical problem is whether Edwards has enough burst to punish those coverages when he does find a seam.
Before this series, Edwards had already been working his way back from a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise suffered in the first round against the Denver Nuggets. On May 4 Edwards had been upgraded to questionable for Game 1 against San Antonio after previously being ruled out for the remainder of the Denver series.
Since then, Edwards has not just returned. He has been asked to carry elimination-level minutes.
The two-day window does not guarantee a 35-point eruption. It does, however, give Edwards something he has not had since rushing back into the lineup: a real recovery pocket before another must-win game.
There is also some statistical reason to think the rest could help. StatMuse lists Edwards as averaging 30.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists on 46.2% shooting in eight games this season with two days of rest. He also shot 37.3% from three and posted a 60.0 true shooting percentage in those games.
That does not mean Minnesota can simply hand Edwards the ball and expect everything to reset. San Antonio’s pressure has made the Timberwolves’ offense look cramped in both road blowouts. If Edwards is doubled, the Wolves still need quicker decisions from the release valves around him, cleaner spacing and more efficient secondary scoring.
But rest can change the first domino. If Edwards has more lift, he can get to spots earlier. If he turns the corner harder, the double-teams arrive later. If he draws help deeper in the paint, Minnesota’s shooters get cleaner looks instead of late-clock bailouts.
That is why this break qualifies as good news for the Timberwolves. It does not fix the series. It gives their best player a better chance to fix the next game.
Timberwolves-Spurs Game 6 is on Friday, May 15
Game 6 between the Timberwolves and Spurs is scheduled for Friday, May 15, in Minnesota, with the Spurs leading the series 3-2. The NBA schedule lists tipoff for 9:30 p.m. ET.
For Minnesota, the equation is straightforward: win at home and force Game 7 in San Antonio, or watch a promising season end after three straight losses in the series.
The Game 5 loss was concerning because the Timberwolves did not merely lose. They were outscored in every quarter, and the Spurs’ two home wins in the series have come by a combined 67 points, per ESPN.
That puts even more pressure on Edwards to look like the best version of himself in Game 6. Not just as a scorer, but as a decision-maker against traps, a pressure-release driver when Minnesota’s offense bogs down and the emotional tone-setter for a team trying to avoid elimination.
The rest advantage is not the whole story. But for a star who has been playing nearly 40 minutes per night on compromised knees, it is the first positive development Minnesota can carry into Game 6.
And for the Timberwolves, that may be the best place to start.
Anthony Edwards Gets Great News Ahead of Timberwolves-Spurs Game 6