How 'Wolverine' Anthony Edwards Pushed to Play Game 1 vs. San Antonio Spurs

SAN ANTONIO — Julius Randle still remembers the initial shock value of watching Anthony Edwards hit the hardwood as hard as he does. It hasn't been an isolated occurrence.

"He'd take a nasty spill," Randle said at shootaround at Frost Bank Center on Monday, recalling his early days with the Minnesota Timberwolves, "and then he just gets up."

Watching the 24-year-old continuously take contact and push through pain — at times, Randle was certain his teammate was injured — led him to give Edwards a moniker after the most popular of Marvel's X-Men: "Wolverine." It made perfect sense.

"He's going to do whatever he can to put himself in position to be out here," Randle said.

Around the league, Edwards' tough reputation has followed him. Given his athletic style of play, taking flight for a dunk attempt or leaving the ground to chase a rebound isn't uncommon for the guard, but his lower body does seem to feel the strain, at times.

From the moment he went down, Edwards had his mind on getting back up.

"He loves competing," Timberwolves veteran Mike Conley said. "That's all he wants to do."

The San Antonio Spurs have been waiting a week to get back to basketball after eliminating the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the first round. During that time, they prepared for several feasible outcomes — Edwards playing Game 1, Edwards missing at least two games and Edwards not playing at all.

"We're just trying to cover all bases," Keldon Johnson said. "I'm not really sure if he plays or if he does not play, but we just try to prepare as best as possible, so we're ready for anything."

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch confirmed Edwards was AVAILABLE to play Game 1 during his pregame media availability after the star was upgraded from QUESTIONABLE.

The coach said Edwards will be on a minutes restriction coming off bench, and added that he thought Edwards would likely return in the middle of the series. He didn't know it was a possibility for Edwards play in the opener until a day before.

"That is one of the most naturally gifted and built athletes that I've ever been around," Finch said of the 24-year-old, "not just with this, (but) his running and jumping ability ... what you can't see is his robustness and just how naturally strong he is."

A hyperextended left knee and proximate bone bruise suffered in Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference First Round threatened to keep him out for weeks. Edwards missed the remainder of that contest and the two that followed as Minnesota claimed a 4-2 victory over Denver to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals.

Sunday evening, the Timberwolves upgraded Edwards' inital status for Game 1, and by Monday afternoon, ESPN reported he expected to play; Edwards reportedly underwent several rounds of treatment, including hyperbaric chamber sessions, to expedite his return.

"I'll go out on that b**** on one leg if I've got to," Edwards said in a nine-minute video detailing his ramp-up process posted to his personal YouTube channel on Sunday.

San Antonio has been forced to play games without Victor Wembanyama, who missed time with a calf strain early in the season. Minor injuries to Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Dylan Harper and even Harrison Barnes presented adversity throughout the season.

Perhaps it's why the Spurs won't be caught underestimating the Timberwolves, even if Edwards suffers a medical setback and is deemed unfit to play.

"In terms of their style of play and their disposition and brand," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of Minnesota's missing pieces, "I don’t think it changes too much ... obviously they showed the type of character and resolve and competitiveness they have."

This season, the Spurs finished 1-2 against the Timberwolves. The two squads' first meeting was marred by early-season shooting woes, while a subsequent contest on the road came down to a final missed 3-pointer by De'Aaron Fox.

Their third and final meeting served as a vehicle for a larger NBA debate. Between Wembanyama and Edwards, neither is keen on claiming the "face of the league" title.

"That's what they got Wemby for," Edwards said during All-Star Weekend in 2024.

Assuming Edwards does play, he'll get another pass at the 7-foot-4 center who has had no issue scoring on his team in two appearances this season, but he won't be greeted with open arms. Now with a playoff series under his belt, Wembanyama knows what to expect from the Timberwolves, with or without their star.

If Edwards is "Wolverine," Wembanyama has no problem being "Sabretooth."

"We're excited," he said. "We're locked in. We know it's going to be harder than our first series ... (the Timberwolves) are a team that forces you to be on for 48 minutes."

Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the San Antonio Spurs/Minnesota Timberwolves from Frost Bank Center is set for Monday at 8:30 p.m. Central on Peacock.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow