On the same night that Donte DiVincenzo tore his Achilles, Anthony Edwards was struck by the injury bug as well. Right before halftime of Game 4 between the Timberwolves and the Nuggets, Edwards left his feet to challenge a Cam Johnson layup attempt. As Edwards landed, he appeared to hyperextend his left knee.
Shortly after the four-time All-Star headed to the locker room, NBA injury insider Dr. Evan Jeffries offered his insights on the best-case and worst-case scenarios for Edwards.
“This is a hyperextension mechanism for Anthony Edwards. What we are concerned for Worst case scenario: ACL tear. Best case scenario: Bone bruise/joint capsule injury,” Dr. Jeffries tweeted.
To the Wolves’ credit, they bucked the absence of Anthony Edwards and seized control of the game in the second half. Though the injuries to Edwards and DiVincenzo were both majors blows, the Wolves came away with the 112-96 victory.
Heading into this game, Edwards was the Wolves’ leading scorer with 23.0 points per outing. DiVincenzo has also been a key contributor, chipping in 14.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 5.0 apg.
The former Villanova guard could be out for months; as for Edwards, he could be back in a matter of weeks if the best-case scenario unfolds. However, if Edwards’ injury is confirmed to be an ACL tear, he could also be sidelined for an extended period of time.
Sports Medicine Doctor Predicts Anthony Edwards Will Miss Rest of First-Round Series
Another medical practitioner who chimed in on Anthony Edwards’ condition for the rest of this series.
Dr. Brian Sutterer, a spoots medicine expert, stated the odds of Edwards suiting up again for Minnesota in the first round are slim to none.
“I’ll be shocked if we see Anthony Edwards back this series (best case), and yes, this has the potential to be far worse. Hyperextensions are extremely hard to assess severity of from video alone compared to other injuries.”
It will be interesting to see how both the Wolves and the Nuggets respond to this latest development in their first-round series.
