Anthony Edwards is eager to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, but he still hasn’t been given the green light from medical staff, ESPN reported.
The Timberwolves visit the San Antonio Spurs for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Per ESPN, Edwards was a “significant participant” in the team’s shootaround Monday morning and video clips on social media showed him shooting jumpers and wearing a sleeve on his injured left knee.
He is listed as questionable on the injury report. He suffered a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise on an awkward landing in Minnesota’s Game 4 victory over the Denver Nuggets in the first round on April 25. He avoided ligament damage but did not play in the rest of the series.
ESPN reported that a decision on Edwards’ status won’t come until closer to the 9:30 p.m. ET game time.
Teammate Julius Randle told reporters after shootaround that he wouldn’t be surprised to see Edwards on the court for tipoff.
“He loves to play the game so he’s going to do whatever he can to put himself in position to be out here,” Randle said.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Edwards is in his sixth season with Minnesota. In the first three games of the series against the Nuggets, Edwards averaged 23 points, four assists and eight rebounds. He added five blocks.
The four-time All-Star averaged a career-high 28.8 points per game on 48.9% shooting, including 39.9% from 3-point range, in the regular season (61 games).
Ayo Dosunmu, who led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Denver series (21.8 points per game), including 43 points in Game 4, is also questionable due to right calf soreness. He missed the clinching Game 6 win over the Nuggets with the ailment.
If Edwards, 24, does not play on Monday, his next opportunity will come Wednesday in Game 2 in San Antonio. The series shifts to Minneapolis with Game 3 on Friday.
