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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

In the showdown between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs today, before halftime could even be called, fans in the Target Center fell silent as the Wolves’ superstar, Anthony Edwards went down to the ground after what appeared to be an ankle injury or twist. The training staff came from the locker room and helped the Ant-Man, who seemed to be in a world of pain, as were his fans and supporters.

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But to everyone’s surprise, the Ant-Man remarkably made his return to the game at the start of the 3rd quarter! Prior to his injury, he was putting on a classic Ant-Man performance, racking up 18 points along with 2 rebounds and 2 assists in the 16 minutes he played.

The Timberwolves were already without their big man Karl-Anthony Towns on account of personal reasons. But the Ant-Man returned! With Spurs’ rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama and sophomore Malaki Branham, the Timberwolves need all hands on deck in the second half of the game to maintain their lead.

Whenever pegged against the San Antonio Spurs, Edwards has consistently delivered scorching performances throughout his career, averaging a stellar 20.4 points and 5.2 assists per game against them. Notably, his career-high 49 points came against the Spurs in April 2022. Defensively, he contributes an average of 5.4 rebounds, 7 blocks, and 14 steals in his 13 match-ups against them.

Can the Wolves remain on top of the food chain without Edwards?

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Looking beyond his stats against the Spurs, Edwards has established himself as a force to be reckoned with. He averages 22.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4 assists per game overall, shooting a respectable 44.6% from the field, 35.8% from three, and an impressive 78.7% from the free-throw line.

The Timberwolves, sitting pretty at the top of the Western Conference, have a league-leading scoring differential of +409, outscoring opponents by an average of 7.2 points per game. This offensive firepower is coupled with their defensive prowess, ranking first in the NBA in defensive efficiency, allowing 106.4 points per game. Their rebounding powers are also to be watched out for, averaging 44.1 rebounds per game (11th in the league), overpowering their contenders by an average of 3.5 rebounds.

Read More: Anthony Edwards Urged Not Follow Ja Morant’s Path to Become the Face of the NBA

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Beyond the box score, the Timberwolves rank third in the league with a 39.1% three-point shooting percentage, averaging 12.6 three-pointers per game (15th in the league). Their defensive game forces an average of 13.2 turnovers per game (11th in the league).

The question remains: how good are they without the Ant-Man?