DENVER — Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been cleared to play in Saturday’s Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets.
Head coach Chris Finch didn’t have any news on his status pregame after he’d previously been listed as questionable with right knee injury maintenance. But he participated in warmups, and the Timberwolves announced pregame that he was available to play.
Edwards played in two of Minnesota’s final seven regular-season games and three of their last 14 due to his knee injury. He was limited to 61 games this season (starting 60) due to various injuries to his back, hamstring, foot and shoulder. But his right knee has been the most problematic, requiring regular absences for maintenance toward the end of the season.
Finch: Edwards ‘looks good, feels good’
Finch, who’s coached Edwards for his entire six-year career, said that this is the first year he’s seen Edwards struggle with an injury.
“I just look for the brightness in his smile,” Finch said Saturday of what he looks for when determining Edwards’ readiness to play. “When he’s out there having fun and he knows he’s got the confidence in his game and in his body, which I think he’s always had. That’s what you look for.
“This is the first year I’ve ever seen anything different, where he’s been frustrated, but not feeling 100%. He’s always played through little injuries, but this one more than ever, I felt, it impinged the way he’s able to play.
“But he looks good and feels good right now. It’s just about getting him in the rhythm of the game.”
Edwards isn’t eligible for any 2026 season awards, though he filed a challenge to the NBA’s 65-game requirement for awards consideration. Before this season, Edwards had never played in fewer than 72 games in a single season.
“He’s been incredibly durable,” Finch said. “He loves to play. I thought it was a shame that he didn’t win his appeal as well, just given the history of playing so many games. He’s available always to play.”
This season, Edwards averaged a career-high 28.8 points with 5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He shot 40% on 514 3-point attempts. In three games against Denver, he averaged 30.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5 assists, while shooting 26% on 31 3-point shots.
The Timberwolves finished with a 49-33 record, giving them the sixth seed in the Western Conference and a first-round matchup with the third-seeded Nuggets (54-28).
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