Minnesota Timberwolves witnessed their star guard Anthony Edwards suffer a knee injury with just a few minutes left in the first half of Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.
Edwards, 24, surprisingly suffered the injury on defense despite being an explosive leaper on offense. He rushed over to contest Denver forward Cam Johnson’s layup before landing awkwardly on his left leg.
Edwards bunched over on the floor and remained down for several moments as the Wolves medical staff hurried over to check on him.
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 25: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts to an apparent injury in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Replay said it all. Just when it felt like the Wolves were destined to launch into another deep postseason run, their star and driving force gets tagged with what seems like a brutal injury.
The 24-year-old Minnesota star was already dealing with right knee inflammation dating back to the final weeks of the regular season. Edwards missed multiple games, causing him to also fall short of eligibility to win postseason awards. Entering Game 1 of this series against the Nuggets, there was real concern over Edwards’ health.
Edwards, a multi-Time NBA All-Star, popped up on the injury report before each of the first four games in the series. Both Edwards and the Timberwolves consistently downplayed any injury concerns, but his play on the court, especially in Game 1, where he had more shots than points, suggested otherwise.
Any Hope Over Anthony Edwards’ Injury Ahead of Game 5?
There is hope Edwards returns this postseason if the Wolves are able to take care of business in the first round against the Nuggets.
But don’t expect Edwards to be on the Ball Arena court in Game 5. Unless his injury was much, much less serious than it looked, it would be a borderline miracle if he suits up Monday night.
According to multiple reports, the best-case injury scenario for Edwards is a bone bruise or a hyperextended knee; the worst-case points to a gut-wrenching ACL or PCL tear, which would sideline the star guard well into next season.
Edwards was already dealing with runner’s knee, the same injury that cost Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry 27 consecutive games this season. A legitimate argument could be made that Edwards should not have been playing in this series to begin with, though the knee he injured last night is not the one he hurt during the regular season.
Timberwolves Must Keep Calm and Carry On
Whether Edwards dodged a major bullet remains to be seen, but it certainly appears the All-Star guard won’t be back in the first round against the Nuggets considering the series has already gone through four games.
The injury to Edwards certainly puts a roadblock in Minnesota’s chances to go further. If the team holds off the Nuggets in the first round, it’ll face the winner of the Portland Trail Blazers versus San Antonio Spurs. Neither opponent is going to be a walk in the park.
It was already somewhat surprising to see the Wolves jump to a commanding position over the Nuggets, who were the favorites in this first round clash. Considering Edwards was already limited, it wouldn’t have been shocking if the Wolves were the ones down 3-1 in the series.
Minnesota also lost sharpshooting guard Donte DiVincenzo, who suffered an Achilles tendon tear just over 1 ½ minutes into Sunday’s Game 4. Man, that’s just brutal.
The Wolves will be without Edwards for some time and DiVincenzo for potentially all of next season.
But they’ll have to find a way to stay even-keeled if they want to make a run this spring.
Will Anthony Edwards Play Game 5 vs Nuggets? Latest Update Emerges on Wolves Star