It had been more than a week since Anthony Edwards treated Minnesota Timberwolves fans to a true superstar game, but he chose the right time to give them a desperately-needed adrenaline boost. Fresh off the news that Karl-Anthony Towns would be sidelined with a torn left meniscus, the 22-year-old sent a strong message that the team is still in good hands for the final stretch of the regular season.

And he did it on the road. Edwards was terrific in the Wolves' thrilling 113-11 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night, ascending to another gear during the closing minutes. The score was tied at 105 apiece with a little over one minute remaining in the contest, at which point the two-time All-Star took it upon himself to will Minnesota to the W.

He knocked down a pull-up 3-pointer to give the Timberwolves the lead, sunk another jumper over a slipping Aaron Nesmith and then silenced the home crowd for good with a ferocious block on Nesmith as time expired (not his best night). With Towns missing at least a month following surgery, Edwards must carry an even larger share of the offensive burden.

A performance like this one– 44 points (18-of-35 shooting), six rebounds, two steals and two blocks– will convince people that he is up to the task. “Status alert: Anthony Edwards is back,” Underdog NBA posted on X.

Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards looks ready for the challenges ahead

Edwards' heroics came after he gave the Wolves fans watching at home a big injury scare by turning his ankle in the first 30 seconds of play. He ended the clash with the Pacers by hitting his head on the backboard while swatting the potential game-tying basket, as The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski notes. This type of stress is the last thing Minnesota wants following a day of demoralizing news.

Luckily, Edwards did not show any ill effects of his accidents as he ecstatically celebrated the win. When the excitement wears off, though, the franchise star will probably need some ice in multiple places.

The first-place Timberwolves (44-19) begin their six-game road trip with an exclamation point and now head to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for a prime-time showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers (40-22) on Friday.