The Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves in a tough spot. While they reside at the top of the Western Conference standings with 19 games remaining on their schedule, they are going to be without All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns moving forward due to a torn meniscus that needs surgery to repair. Without Towns on Thursday night, Minnesota ended up in a tight game against the Indiana Pacers, a game that Anthony Edwards put the team on his back in. Edwards was the main reason why the Wolves were able to pick up their 44th victory of the season, but he was beat up in this game due to a number of ailments. This has led many to ask the question: Is Anthony Edwards playing vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night?

Anthony Edwards' injury status vs. Cavs

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates the win over Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

There are no other words to describe Edwards' performance against the Pacers on Thursday night other than fantastic. The Timberwolves star recorded 44 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks, one of which came in the final seconds of the game to give his team a 113-111 victory.

Although Edwards had one of the best games of his career against Indiana, he was forced to leave this game on numerous occasions due to injuries. Just a few seconds into the game, the former first overall pick turned his left ankle and went back to the locker room before returning to the court later in the quarter.

Minutes later, Edwards again has to revisit the team's locker room after falling hard on the ground while attempting to block his opponent's shot. Once again, the Timberwolves star battled through the pain and was able to get back out on the court with his teammates.

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Between these two injuries early on in the game and the hard fall he took after his game-winning block, Edwards could probably use a day off. The Timberwolves released their injury report for Friday night's game against the Cavaliers, and Edwards found himself questionable to play due to what the team is calling “left ankle soreness.”

Edwards is never one to sit out games unless he physically can't play, which is why it didn't come as a surprise when the team revealed prior to tip-off that Ant-Man will play and start. Even with Friday night's game being the second leg of a back-to-back for the Timberwolves, Edwards is going to step out for the Wolves.

In a total of 60 games this season, Edwards has played at an MVP level, averaging 26.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor. A true superstar in the making, Edwards is the main reason why Minnesota occupies the top spot in the Western Conference standings.

A win over Cleveland on Friday would at least allow the Timberwolves to maintain their half-game lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder with just weeks remaining in the season.

So, when it comes to the question of whether Anthony Edwards is playing tonight vs. the Cavs, the official answer is YES.