MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves ruled out guard Anthony Edwards for Tuesday’s contest against the Phoenix Suns due to right knee soreness, before later announcing he would be re-evaluated in 1-2 weeks.
The Timberwolves announced the potential timetable for a reevaluation after disclosing Tuesday that an MRI conducted by Dr. Craig Bennett at Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine revealed inflammation in Edwards’ right knee. The team announced that further updates on Edwards’ progress would be provided when available.
Edwards’ latest setback comes at a crucial time for the sixth-place Timberwolves as they try to hold off the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday at Target Center. Phoenix sits two games behind Minnesota in the Western Conference standings, having lost two in a row on a six-game road trip, but own the tiebreaker against the Timberwolves with a 2-0 record thus far in the series between the teams.
Minnesota, meanwhile, has dropped four of its last five, including Sunday’s loss at Oklahoma City in which the Timberwolves committed 25 turnovers — their second-most in a game this season — as Edwards contributed 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting. Edwards attempted only one field goal in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Thunder and appeared to be laboring down the stretch due to the sore right knee.
Edwards, 24, leads the Timberwolves in scoring this season, averaging 29.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 49.2% from the field and 40.2% from 3-point range.
He’s been an iron man for most of his young NBA career, missing only nine games combined in the three seasons prior to this one. However this season he’s already missed 10 games and only has 57 qualifying games for end-of-season awards because he only played three minutes in an October 26 game vs. the Pacers. Edwards can miss just six more of the Wolves’ 14 games remaining before being disqualified for awards.
Minnesota’s matchup against the Suns is the first of a back-to-back set that continues Wednesday with the Timberwolves hosting the Utah Jazz at Target Center.
