Ahead of tonight’s Game 1 matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs, Anthony Edwards has received medical clearance to be able to play, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Edwards suffered a hyperextended knee in Game 4 during the first round against the Nuggets, which kept him out for the remainder of the series. His initial timeline was listed as one-to-four weeks, but just nine days removed from the initial injury, the expectation is for him to play tonight, per Charania. He is officially listed as questionable on the injury report.
This is a major change in the outlook for Minnesota. As impressive as it was for the shorthanded squad to win without Edwards, the four-time All-Star is still at the core of everything the Timberwolves do on both sides of the ball. Across the regular season, he averaged 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. He was posting averages of 23.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists across the opening three games in the opening playoff series before leaving Game 4 after just 17:33 of game time.
Unfortunately for Minnesota, Ayo Dosunmu has been ruled out for Game 1 with his right calf soreness. Dosunmu made a major impact stepping up in Edwards’ absence, as headlined by his 43-point output in Game 4 and 21.8 points per game in the series. In addition, Donte DiVincenzo remains in the early stages of his rehab after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the previous round. He will not return this postseason.
Following the injury update, the Spurs have shifted to 9.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Timberwolves are +300 underdogs for the Game 1 matchup, with the game total set at 219.5.
Stay tuned for updates on DK Network.
