Despite sore knee, Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards remains in starting lineup

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – The Timberwolves were scoring at will in Tuesday's 134-114 victory over Sacramento, except there was one player who wasn't joining in on the fun at the basket — guard Anthony Edwards.

Edwards shot only 2-for-12 for five points in one of his worst statistical games of the season. Only last week, Edwards also scored only five points in a 130-115 win over Denver. After that game, Edwards yelled as he was going down a Target Center hallway, "My knees needed it, baby."

Edwards referenced having a sore knee in recent weeks and even left a home game against Brooklyn on January 23 after knocking knees with an opposing player.

But Edwards popped up on the injury report Wednesday as questionable with "left patella tendinopathy" or pain in his left knee that is sometimes known as "jumper's knee."

It turns out Edwards' knee was bothering him more than he was letting on. After Wednesday's 132-119 loss to the Kings, Edwards, who had 26 points, said he has "really been hurt." He said Wednesday was the first day it felt good "in about a month and a half."

"It's been depressing, man," Edwards said. "I was in a room sad last night just because I can't be there for my team, and I don't like missing games. But today was the first day that it actually felt good out there and everything felt good and I was doing everything I needed. I was getting downhill. I just couldn't finish, but it's OK."

Edwards said he considered sitting out but wanted to keep playing, especially after he felt better Wednesday.

"With my knee, I couldn't do anything," Edwards said. "I couldn't slide my feet, I couldn't jump, I couldn't get a burst of speed. I couldn't do anything, man. So like I said, I'm just happy to be back out there playing and feeling like myself. I'm back happy, man."

Center Karl-Anthony Towns is dealing with an injury of his own — he had his right thumb wrapped after the game. He offered praise for Edwards wanting to play through the pain.

"Ant has done an amazing job of just being a pro, showing up to his treatment times, getting his work in, doing extra work, being ready for what the challenge of what this year will bring ... " Towns said. "You got to give him a lot of credit for the way he's performed on it and he's done an amazing job of not only playing well on it, but I look at him as a star player, a superstar in the making. The most valuable thing your star player can give you is availability."

Coach Chris Finch said Edwards was a little "tender" before the rematch against the Kings, but he remained in the starting lineup.

"He definitely has some soreness in his knee," Finch said Tuesday. "We're treating it. You know Ant, he thinks he can always do it and play through everything. If he's not in the manner to be able to do that, then he needs to be a little bit more honest."

Edwards was a little more candid after the game Wednesday.

Guard Patrick Beverley was out because of a sprained right ankle that recently caused him to miss five games. Finch said this was not a reaggravation of the injury. The team was managing Beverley's workload for back-to-back games.

Towns said he has been participating in three-point contests his "entire life." So when he takes the court on All-Star weekend in Cleveland for this year's version (Feb. 19), it will feel at least a little bit familiar.

"It's something I've wanted to do for a while, so when I got the call, it was cool," Towns said.

It will be the first time Towns has participated in the NBA's three-point contest. As a 40.9% three-point shooter, Towns ranks 12th in the league in percentage among those who attempt at least five threes per game.

"If I know anything about my life now, being older and having gone through things, I always try to live in the moment," Towns said. "I like to have fun, do things that many people wouldn't want to do, or are nervous to do or are scared to fail. You only get to live once, you might as well do it and have fun with it."

Also participating in the three-point contest is Bulls guard and Towns' friend, Zach LaVine. Towns said there might be a friendly wager on how the two former Wolves teammates do in the competition.

"I hope they match me up against him first round," Towns said. "I would love it. I would be so happy."

Finch was an assistant under Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry when the two were in New Orleans. Finch said he credits Gentry with allowing his assistants the chance to develop their skills and further their careers under his tutelage.

"I loved working with Alvin," Finch said. "He's just an unbelievable guy. I've been lucky to work with a lot of really good head coaches and Alvin was probably among the best in that he just let us do our thing. He just really trusts and empowers his assistants and gives them a big role. He knows how important that is when you're coaching and trying to develop and make your way in this league."