Tragedy strikes the Timberwolves! They headed into tonight’s playoffs opener against the Lakers hoping to win one on the road and gain a massive edge in the series. And the Minnesota team was well on its way toward achieving that goal as they cumulated a massive double-digit lead in the third quarter. But things took an unfortunate turn when their superstar, Anthony Edwards, was forced to leave the game due to a brutal injury scare.

It happened in the closing minutes of the third quarter. With his team leading by 24 points, Ant-Man drove aggressively to the basket for an acrobatic layup attempt. However, he was met at the rim by a contesting Jarred Vanderbilt. The midair collision led to Edwards landing awkwardly, and he fell straight to the floor. In a scary sight, he began grimacing in pain, favoring his left calf. He immediately signalled to the Wolves bench and subbed out, limping off the floor straight to the locker room.

Edwards left the game with 17 points and six assists. Per veteran insider Shams Charania’s latest report, the Wolves star “is dealing with a cramp and receiving treatment in the locker room.” Even the on-air announcers knew immediately what was wrong, as they said on Live TV, “That looks like a cramp when he grabbed his foot.”

Fortunately, it was something that could be dealt with quick and Ant-Man returned to the floor minutes later, ready to go. He checked back in minutes into the final quarter and finished what he started.

Anthony Edwards leads Timberwolves to Game 1 win as he moves one step closer to his goal

Well, Edwards has been deemed by many as the next face of the NBA. Some even call him the second coming of Michael Jordan because of their similar freak athleticism and killer mentality. Sure enough, the Wolves star is slowly starting to prove them right. Last year, he swept his childhood hero and favorite player Kevin Durant in the first round of the playoffs. This year, he is trying to do the same to LeBron James.

Earlier this week, Ant-Man talked about competing against LBJ in the playoffs, “It means a lot to matchup against him, man. Probably goes down as the greatest player to ever play basketball. Trying to get putting him out of the playoffs under my belt is going to be a tough one, but it’s going to be a fun road.” Yes, although he has immense respect for the four-time champ, he is not afraid of going at him.

Sure enough, he proved it tonight. Despite the third quarter injury scare, Edwards returned and finished with 22 points and nine assists. Even his teammates followed suit, as Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid combined for 64 points.

Thanks to their effort, the Wolves blew out the Lakers at home, bringing Edwards one step closer to his goal of eliminating LeBron. If that happens, his claim at becoming NBA’s next face will grow even stronger. But the series is long and there is a lot of basketball left to be played. Whose side are you on?