The bad news that could have been worse
Anthony Edwards will be on the bench for at least a week. A hyperextension with a bone contusion in the left knee took him off the field just when the Timberwolves smelled the classification.
But there is a but: the MRI ruled out structural damage. That, friends, is a huge respite for Minnesota.
“With the two injuries we had in one game, it was about as positive as you can get,” Mike Conley said after practice. And boy is he right.
The team lists it as “week to week.” Translation: if they advance, they won’t have it for the start of the second round. It hurts, but it’s better than losing everything.
The blow was double
As if that were not enough, Donte DiVincenzo said goodbye to the postseason—and much of the next—due to a torn Achilles tendon. Thus, in the first minutes of the fourth game.
Edwards had been averaging 28.8 points this season. Third in the entire NBA, only behind Luka and Shai. But he also missed 21 games, mostly because of his right knee. Now it’s the left.
The lesson here: injuries do not warn. But when they come, the important thing is how you respond as a team. Minnesota has a 3-1 lead over Denver. They have room to breathe.
Conley said it clearly:
“Your health comes first. When your body is ready, it will overcome this.”
That’s how it is in sports: sometimes you win battles without stepping on the field.
