Not that the Minnesota Timberwolves don’t have any depth, but it’s evident that Anthony Edwards is the straw that stirs the drink. One of the elite scorers in the game, the Wolves won’t be able to go on a deep run in this year's playoffs without Ant-Man feeling and looking healthy.
That wasn’t the case for much of the end of the regular season, as Edwards dealt with a right knee injury. After a Game 1 performance where the 24-year-old didn’t look like his typical spry self, Ant looked closer to what NBA viewers have grown accustomed to in Game 2, which now allows the fanbase to let out a great big sigh of relief.
Ant-Man helped the Timberwolves even up the series
Tuesday’s victory over the Denver Nuggets wasn’t Edwards’ best or most efficient scoring night. It was enough of the Ant-Man we’ve enjoyed watching over the past few years though that can have fans feeling better about Minnesota’s chances of advancing as they squared up the series 1-1.
It was the second quarter where Edwards was at his finest. The four-time All-Star began to take over, playing the entire period and scoring 13 points. After Minnesota was outscored 39-25 in the first 12 minutes, the Timberwolves outscored Denver by the exact same margin in the second.
Ant and his teammates seemed to get to the basket more easily when they went to a smaller lineup as Rudy Gobert picked up his third foul three minutes into the second frame. The Wolves scored 30 over the next nine minutes, with Edwards having six of those.
What made Ant’s second quarter even better to see was the injury scare that came before it. Bumping knees with Nikola Jokic early in the first quarter, Edwards began to hobble. The 2020 first overall pick shook it off, though, and stayed in the game.
This is the knee that caused Edwards to miss 11 of the last 13 regular season outings. His “runner’s knee” is what Steph Curry dealt with this season. That ailment forced Curry out of the lineup for 27 straight games. Sure, Steph is well more than a decade older than Ant, but we know Curry is a gamer, and the injury doesn’t heal quickly.
The Timberwolves now have two days off before playing back in front of their home crowd on Thursday. It gives Edwards a little more time to heal up further for a pivotal Game 3.
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