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Timberwolves rule out Anthony Edwards vs. Warriors ahead of knee surgery
Anthony Edwards is out Wednesday against Golden State and faces knee surgery Thursday, likely costing him more than two months.
The Minnesota Timberwolves will play Golden State on Wednesday without Anthony Edwards, and they will be without him for a long time after that. The final injury report lists Edwards as out for right knee injury management, Yahoo Sports reports, in a story from Roundtable Sports. He is scheduled for an arthroscopic procedure that is expected to sideline him for about two months.
The timeline could run longer. Sports Illustrated points to reporting from The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, who says the surgery is set for Thursday and that the team now expects Edwards to miss more than two months. Krawczynski added that a clearer recovery window should come after the operation. On ESPN, Stephen A. Smith called the injury devastating for Minnesota.
The injury comes just as Edwards was off to the best start of his career. He is averaging 33.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists through four games. On Monday he scored 47 points in 41 minutes as Minnesota lost 127-125 in overtime at Cleveland, which ended a 3-0 start. The headline also raised the status of Yaxel Lendeborg, but the reporting reviewed here did not give an update on him, so his availability should be confirmed closer to tipoff.
Without Edwards, Minnesota has to find a new way to score. Yahoo's report expects Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga and LaMelo Ball to start. It names Bones Hyland or Jaylen Clark as candidates to fill the open spot, with Ayo Dosunmu the most likely choice to make up for the lost offense.
What it means against Golden State
Minnesota is 3-1, and the overtime loss in Cleveland is the only blemish. The first three wins were all by 21 points or more: 131-106 at Miami, 115-93 at Orlando and 117-94 against Toronto at home. Wednesday is also the Wolves' first game against a Western Conference opponent and the first of a two-game homestand. Golden State arrives at 1-3. The Warriors got their first win Monday with a blowout of Denver, and this game closes a three-game road trip after they played four of their first five away from home.
The market still has the Timberwolves favored with Edwards out. On this site's board, which tracks 12 venues, Novig has Minnesota at -156 on the moneyline and Golden State at +150. The spread is Wolves -3.5. Novig prices that side at -111, and the best number anywhere is BetRivers at -110, so the two are nearly even. The Warriors side shows a bigger gap. Novig offers +108 at +3.5, while Pinnacle has the best price at +4 for -105, which trades price for an extra half point. The total sits at 227.5 on Novig, with the over at -100 and the under at -104. Hard Rock Bet has the best under at 228.5 for -115. Sportsbook hold runs from 2.4% to 5.2% depending on the market.
A 3.5-point spread is narrow for a 3-1 home team facing a 1-3 opponent. That suggests the market sees Edwards' absence as a real loss. Whether Minnesota's depth can make up for it starts Wednesday.