The Minnesota Timberwolves will put their season on the line when they host the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals on Friday night, and there’s a good chance they will put it in the hands of Anthony Edwards.
Edwards has been the force driving the Wolves in this year’s playoffs and it has been more impressive as he’s battled injuries in both knees. Despite the superhuman effort, he looked sluggish toward the end of the Wolves’ 126-97 loss to the Spurs in Game 5 of the series, but he got a gift when the NBA gave Minnesota two days of rest before Friday’s showdown.
“I’m so happy,” Edwards said via ESPN’s Anthony Slater when asked about the rest the Wolves were getting before Game 6. “I’m ready to get two days.”
It's important to note that the Spurs will also get the same amount of rest heading into Friday's game. But at this time of the year, extra time off is a gift to any team making the trek through the playoffs and it could especially benefit Edwards as the extra day could help him extend the Wolves' season in Game 6.
Timberwolves’ extra day off could help Anthony Edwards explode in Game 6
Edwards has been brilliant when playing with exactly two days off this season. According to Statmuse, the 24-year-old has averaged 30.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in eight games in that scenario. While the Timberwolves split those eight games, it brought an extra lift to Edwards’s performance, which could especially come in handy as he’s played through pain over the closing months of the season.
“Runner’s knee” in his right knee kept Edwards out of the lineup down the closing stretch of the season. While he played through the injury, he suffered a bone bruise and a hyperextension of his left knee during a Game 4 win over the Denver Nuggets in the first round.
The injury to his left knee left his status for the Spurs series in doubt, but Edwards came off the bench in each of the first two games and started the last three games. In total, Edwards has averaged 23.6 points per game, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists over the first five games and is also shooting 50.6 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent on 3-pointers. But there have been some drawbacks.
Edwards has averaged roughly 40 minutes per game over the last three contests and it took a toll on him in Game 5. While he shot 6-for-13 from the floor and 1-for-3 from downtown to finish with 20 points, he managed just two rebounds and two assists.
In addition, Edwards has fallen to the floor as opposed to landing on his feet to alleviate the pain in his knees, giving the Spurs a chance to push the tempo and create transition opportunities.
Edwards won’t be 100 percent no matter how much rest the Timberwolves get during this playoff run. He also needs to stop short-circuiting at the Spurs’ aggressive defense and the Wolves still need a better effort from his supporting cast if they want to complete the comeback.
But the rest puts Edwards in a great position for a comeback game and could help Minnesota at least force a pivotal Game 7.
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