One of the more anticipated matchups in the first round of the NBA Playoffs got underway on Saturday night. The Los Angeles Lakers are playing host to the Minnesota Timberwolves and there is a ton of star power on the court. Anthony Edwards is certainly one of them but is now dealing with an injury.
Edwards was driving into the lane and went up for a layup against Jarred Vanderbilt. Missing the shot wound up being the most unfortunate part of the sequence.
After landing, Edwards immediately looked to be in pain. He signaled over to the Minnesota bench and had to wait for a whistle. Once play was stopped, he took a big limp all the way back to the locker room.
If there are any positives to take away, there was no assistance required. Edwards did walk off under his own power but again, with a noticeable limp. You can check out the full moment here.
“Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards is dealing with a cramp and receiving treatment in the locker room, per sources,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said via X. “Lakers-Timberwolves fourth quarter next on ABC.”
Edwards leaves the game with 17 points, only trailing Jaden McDaniels on the Timberwolves. While his six of 16 shooting has not been his best, making three of five three-point attempts is a positive sign. When healthy, there are not many pure scorers on the court than him.
Minnesota has also been playing with a big-time lead for most of the second half. Los Angeles is attempting to close the game before the end of the fourth quarter. Not having Edwards out there severely helps their effort.
After winning an Olympic Gold Medal during the summer, Edwards has continued his high-level play back in the NBA. He finished the regular season with 79 games played, averaging 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
Only three players were better than him from a scoring perspective during the 2024-2025 season. And even so, the Timberwolves only got the six-seed in the Western Conference. A bracket filled with quality teams, all of which could make a case for going to the NBA Finals, a tough journey is ahead.
Right now, all attention is getting back onto the court at Crypto.com Arena. Minnesota is around one quarter away from taking a 1-0 lead against Los Angeles.
