Anthony Edwards Injury Update Emerges Before Timberwolves-Spurs Game 1
Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ franchise star, suffered a left knee hyperextension with a bone bruise in Game 4 on April 25, an injury initially expected to sideline him for "multiple weeks" and at least two full weeks minimum, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
An MRI showed no structural damage, a crucial detail that kept long-term fears at bay but still ruled him out for the remainder of the first-round series against the Denver Nuggets.
So far, Edwards has missed the closing stretch of that series and has now been ruled out for the opening games of the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs.
However, Charania reported on Sunday that there is “growing optimism” that Edwards could return as early as Game 3 or 4, aligning with an estimated return date around May 9, roughly two weeks post-injury.
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Minnesota came into its first-round playoff series against Denver as underdogs and walked away victorious without its franchise superstar.
Despite missing Anthony Edwards, their leading scorer at 28.8 points per game, and losing Donte DiVincenzo to a season-ending Achilles tear, the Timberwolves eliminated the Nuggets in six games.
Jaden McDaniels erupted for 32 points and 10 rebounds in the closeout win, while Terrence Shannon Jr. stepped into a larger role with 24 points in his first start of the series and just his third of the season.
Rudy Gobert anchored the defense and played a key role in limiting Denver's Nikola Jokic, while Julius Randle stabilized the offense, averaging 19.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists across the series.
Even Ayo Dosunmu delivered one of the defining performances of the round, exploding for 43 points in Game 4 after Edwards and DiVincenzo went down,
The fact that Minnesota saw multiple players step up while the team was missing its best player, and knocked off a legitimate title contender in the process, gave fans hope that they can keep competitive even without Edwards.
Now, it looks like they may only need to do that for the first two games of their series against the Spurs.
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Unfortunately, the Spurs are not the Nuggets.
Games 1 and 2 are both in San Antonio, and if the Wolves fall behind 0–2, the series could spin out of their control. Historically, teams that lose the first two games go on to lose the series roughly 93% of the time.
That's what makes Edwards' potential return in Game 3 so critical.
Down 0–2, there's still a narrow path back. But if Minnesota slips into a 0–3 hole, the equation changes entirely.
The Wolves have proven they can stay competitive without Edwards, but the Spurs are a different beast.
Victor Wembanyama remains one of the most unguardable players in basketball, while D’Aaron Fox has been scoring at a steady and efficient rate, and the wing is loaded with elite young talent like Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Dylan Harper.
Minnesota might be able to steal a game without Edwards. But if they can't, and the series slips to 0–3, there’s almost no point to bringing Edwards back for Game 4, as no team in NBA history has ever come back from that deficit.
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This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 2:30 PM.