4 weeks ago
Anthony Edwards announced to nan San Antonio Spurs he had returned – not that anyone successful nan sold-out Frost Bank Center needed to beryllium told.
The Timberwolves defender made an unexpected return 10 days aft hyperextending his near knee, starring Minnesota to a 104-102 triumph connected Monday nighttime successful Game 1 of nan Western Conference semi-finals.
After hitting his first three-pointer pinch 1:27 remaining successful nan first quarter, Edwards turned to nan Spurs chair and screamed: “I’m back! I’m back!”
They were already afloat aware.
The four-time All-Star had 18 points, including 11 successful nan last 4th arsenic nan Timberwolves held connected to manus nan Spurs conscionable nan 2nd nonaccomplishment successful their past 17 bid openers astatine home.
“That’s benignant of who he is,” San Antonio defender Dylan Harper said. “Superstar successful this league. He’s going to travel backmost and person games for illustration that moreover though he hasn’t played for a small bit.”
Edwards, who averaged 36.7 points, 4.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds successful 3 games against nan Spurs this season, has stated antecedently that he enjoys competing against San Antonio prima Victor Wembanyama. They had different duel successful Game 1. Wembanyama had 11 points, 15 rebounds and group an NBA postseason grounds pinch 12 blocked shots.
“I don’t deliberation maine coming backmost was because of thing they sewage going on,” Edwards said. “It was much truthful I want to beryllium retired location pinch my brothers. Yeah, conscionable that simple.”
Edwards was expected to miss astatine slightest nan first 2 games of nan bid successful San Antonio, but nan defender expedited his rehabilitation to play successful nan opener. He was cleared to play 90 minutes earlier nan scheduled tipoff Monday nighttime erstwhile Minnesota coach Chris Finch simply said: “He’s in.”
“He loves to play nan game,” Finch said. “We dodged a slug erstwhile it happened. He’s done an unthinkable job. Our aesculapian unit has done an unbelievable occupation of getting him to this point. And he was ace motivated by nan truth that we were capable to get that first series. I deliberation that was benignant of a small spot of an inspiration for him, too, conscionable gave him thing to activity towards.”
Edwards suffered a bony bruise, successful summation to hyperextending his near knee, connected 25 April during Game 4 of Minnesota’s opening-round bid against Denver.
“I deliberation I sewage nan champion beingness therapist successful nan world pinch David Hines,” Edwards said of nan Timberwolves’ vice president of aesculapian operations and performance. “So, conscionable trusting him and moving done each nan symptom that I felt passim nan first 2 days, 3 days, and conscionable getting successful nan pool, moving connected it. Band work. Just a batch of resistance. So, yeah, he sewage maine right.”
Wembanyama was assured his squad tin travel backmost successful nan series.
“We person to beryllium better,” Wembanyama said. “It shows up connected nan stat sheet. We request to fig retired earlier 48 hours what we tin do amended and I’ve sewage nary uncertainty that we will. I spot us.”
In Monday’s different game, Jalen Brunson scored 27 of his 35 points successful nan first half and nan New York Knicks emphatically added to a historical postseason rotation by overwhelming nan Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 successful Game 1 of nan Eastern Conference semi-finals.
The Knicks became nan first squad successful NBA history to triumph 3 consecutive postseason games by astatine slightest 25 points, continuing a activity that began midway done nan first information against Atlanta by shooting 63% from nan section and starring by 40 points.
OG Anunoby added 18 points connected 7-for-8 shooting, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges some had 17, pinch Towns adding six rebounds and six assists successful conscionable 20 minutes.
After trailing 2-1 against Atlanta, nan Knicks person won 4 consecutive games by a full of 135 points. They are nan first squad since elaborate play-by-play began successful 1996-97 to lead 3 consecutive playoff games by astatine slightest 30 points, according to Sportradar.
Game 2 is connected Wednesday nighttime earlier nan bid shifts to Philadelphia — pinch Joel Embiid already pleading pinch 76ers fans not to waste their tickets to Knicks fans.
