The Minnesota Timberwolves overcame injuries to multiple key players to oust the Denver Nuggets from the NBA playoffs on Thursday, April 30.
Jaden McDaniels led the way with 32 points and 10 rebounds as Minnesota claimed the 110-98 Game 6 victory. The Timberwolves advanced out of the first round for the third consecutive year.
MORE: Was Thursday, April 30, the most magical day in Minnesota sports history?
Now, attention turns to the Timberwolves’ second-round series against the San Antonio Spurs. It begins Monday, May 4.
Will Minnesota get back any of the four players — guards Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu and forward Kyle Anderson — who missed Thursday’s series clincher?
On Friday, May 1, ESPN NBA reporter Shams Charania provided an update on Edwards, the team’s leading scorer at 28.8 points per game.
“I’m told Ant Man will be out to start the second-round series,” Charania said. “It starts early next week. That’s just over one week since the injury. This is a multi-week, minimum two-week injury, so you’re looking at least a few games.”
They call him The Wolverine
Edwards suffered a hyperextended knee and bone bruise on Saturday during Game 4 of the first-round series. That was the same game Minnesota lost Edwards’ backcourt mate DiVincenzo for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.
According to Charania, the Timberwolves are optimistic about getting Edwards back at some point during the series. Edwards, a four-time NBA All-Star, is Minnesota’s lead playmaker.
“Anthony Edwards is a very quick healer,” Charania said. “They nicknamed him The Wolverine out there in Minnesota just because of his pain threshold.”
Dosunmu started just nine games during the regular season but stepped up in Edwards’ absence. He scored 43 points during the Game 4 victory. Dosunmu is dealing with a calf injury.
Anderson, a reserve forward, missed Game 6 with an illness.
Who plays in Spurs series?
Dosunmu and Anderson will use the three days before Monday’s series opener to rest up and should be back in action, while DiVincenzo will not return this season.
As for Edwards, look for Minnesota to target its first home game on May 8 or Game 4 on May 10 to put its star back on the floor.