Anthony Edwards sends the Spurs a powerful message in his first game back

Anthony Edwards simply returning to the court just nine days after suffering a bone bruise and hyperextended knee felt remarkable enough. Whatever the Minnesota Timberwolves got from him in their Game 1 showdown with the San Antonio Spurs would be a positive.

Amazingly, though, Ant-Man didn't miss a beat, scoring 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 11 fourth quarter points en route to a 104-102 win. Ant also played stifling defense, which certainly helped the Wolves steal Game 1. Edwards returning at such a high level should undoubtedly put the Spurs on notice, and it sends the message that Minnesota is primed for another upset.

In general, I really liked this balance for Ant. He picked the spots to attack and dominate as a creator at all three levels while also playing off the ball a bunch and opening up things for his teammates. That, paired with his aforementioned stout defense, made this a truly splendid all-around game for Ant.

Edwards came off the bench and was restricted to 25 minutes, but otherwise, you'd never know that he was coming off his second knee injury since March.

Edwards looked every bit of his elite self, and that should terrify the Spurs

This game perfectly showcased Edwards' difficult shot-making. He hit a smooth pull-up 3-pointer quickly after checking into the game and an absurd jumper over none other than Victor Wembanyama in the fourth quarter.

In a rock fight of a game, it's not far-fetched to say that Ant's unreal shot-making was the difference maker. Without a doubt, Edwards' stellar play and the Wolves stealing a game on the road have already flipped this series on its head in a massive way.

I was cautiously optimistic about Ant's Game 1 impact. On one hand, Edwards is one of the league's best players, and his presence undoubtedly boosted the Wolves' chances of an upset. Conversely, two knee injuries since March shouldn't be taken lightly, and Ant didn't totally look like himself in the game he played during the first-round.

Nevertheless, Edwards shut down any concerns in Game 1, and it's impossible not to be impressed with him returning at such a high level.

While he showed no signs of rust, Ant will surely ramp up his minutes as the series goes on, and this thought should terrify the Spurs, given what he already did in limited minutes during Game 1.

The Timberwolves are continuing to prove that you can never count them out. Regardless, their path to victory against Wemby and the Spurs with Ant sidelined would be limited. It was clear that the Wolves would need his perimeter scoring and finishing to offset the Spurs' Wemby advantage.

And while Wembanyama had a playoff record 12 blocks, Ant's ability to score from anywhere on the court gave the Wolves the juice they needed to overcome his otherworldly defense. This could certainly be a blueprint for success for the rest of the series.

There's no arguing that Edwards is the best self-creator in this series, and that will be a massive advantage for the Wolves' upset chances.

Folks may have been discounting the Wolves' chances heading into this series, but nobody can now.

By all accounts, Edwards' first game back should give Wolves fans hope and strike fear into Spurs fans.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow