Michael C. Wright
Multiple Authors
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves dominated out guard Anthony Edwards for Tuesday’s win over the Phoenix Suns due to proper knee soreness earlier than later asserting he can be reevaluated in a single to two weeks.
The Timberwolves introduced the timetable for a reevaluation after disclosing Tuesday that an MRI performed by Dr. Craig Bennett at Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine revealed irritation in Edwards’ proper knee. The workforce introduced that additional updates on his progress will probably be offered when accessible.
Edwards’ newest setback comes at a vital time for the sixth-place Timberwolves within the Western Conference playoff race. Phoenix sat two video games behind Minnesota heading into the sport, having misplaced two in a row on a six-game street journey, and dropped one other recreation down with the loss. The Suns, nonetheless, nonetheless personal the collection tiebreaker with a 2-1 document between the groups.
“We’ve been here before,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch mentioned earlier than Tuesday’s recreation. “I think it’s incredible when you think about Ant playing almost 95% of the games he’s been available to play. That’s almost unheard of. But this year we’ve been without [him] more than in the past. Just got to regroup. We’ve got to worry about playing better basketball all the way around regardless of who’s out there. And I think we don’t need one person to try to step in and fill the scoring. It’s just better if it’s dispersed throughout the lineup.”
Finch mentioned the choice to sit Edwards was “well above my pay grade,” including that the choice was made after session with “the medical performance staff, team of doctors, talking to his people and everything.”
Minnesota, in the meantime, had dropped 4 of its previous 5, together with Sunday’s loss at Oklahoma City by which the Timberwolves dedicated 25 turnovers — their second most in a recreation this season — as Edwards contributed 19 factors on 6-of-17 capturing. Edwards tried just one discipline purpose within the fourth quarter of the loss and appeared to be laboring down the stretch due to the sore proper knee.
Edwards, 24, leads the Timberwolves in scoring this season, averaging 29.5 factors, 5.1 rebounds and three.7 assists on 49.2% from the sector and 40.2% from 3-point vary.
He’s been an iron man for many of his NBA profession, lacking solely 9 video games mixed within the three seasons earlier than this one. However, this season he has already missed 10 contests and has solely 57 qualifying video games for end-of-season awards as a result of he performed solely three minutes in an Oct. 26 recreation vs. the Indiana Pacers. Edwards can miss simply six extra of the Wolves’ 14 video games remaining earlier than being disqualified for awards.
Minnesota’s matchup towards the Suns is the primary of a back-to-back set that continues Wednesday with the Timberwolves internet hosting the Utah Jazz.
