The Minnesota Timberwolves fan base may have a few concerns entering the postseason after what has been an up-and-down regular season from their squad. The major concern entering Friday, though, was whether Anthony Edwards would be his normal self for the playoffs.
Ant-Man was in the lineup Friday for Minnesota after missing 10 of the previous 12 outings with a knee injury. For the most part, Edwards performed well in their win over the Houston Rockets, which is something that everyone was hoping to see prior to the playoffs.
Throughout his career, Ant has been an elite playoff performer, and this game shows that he's ready to put forth another strong playoff run.
Ant-Man performs well in returnÂ
The final numbers on Friday for Edwards weren’t spectacular, but the scoring efficiency was solid. In 27 minutes, the first pick in the 2020 NBA Draft dropped 22 points while shooting 7-of-14 from the field, 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-6 from the foul line.Â
Much of that scoring damage was done in the second half by Edwards as Minnesota overcame a four-point halftime deficit to defeat the Rockets by four. Ant scored 12 in the third quarter before making his only shot in the fourth, a dagger 3-pointer with less than a minute left.
Prior to the Houston game, the last time Edwards played was on April 8 against the Philadelphia 76ers. It was arguably his worst performance of the season as he scored just eight points on 3-of-15 shooting (0-of-7 from deep). It was his lowest point total of the year, not including a game against the Indiana Pacers, which he left early in late October. The Timberwolves sat him out for the next three outings after that subpar performance.
Ant's strong game is a great sign before the playoffs
The fans can now breathe a little easier, having seen Ant look good in a game before their opening round playoff series. Will Edwards play in the regular season finale on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans, with Minnesota already knowing they are seeded sixth? Or will Chris Finch want to see him one last time, knowing the Wolves won’t play again for at least six more days and that Edwards has only played three times since March 15?
It's unclear what the Wolves' true playoff upside is, but with Ant playing at an elite level, they'll always have at least a puncher's chance, and Friday's game is certainly a promising sign. Edwards has averaged 26.9 points in his playoff career and has led the Wolves to two straight conference finals. With him looking like himself on Friday, he might be ready to lead the Wolves to another deep playoff run.
The Timberwolves will meet up with a foe they are quite familiar with in the opening round in the playoffs, whether it's the offensive-minded Denver Nuggets or the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers. Minnesota beat the Lakers in the first round last year, defeated the Nuggets in the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals, and lost to Denver in the first round in 2023.