The Minnesota Timberwolves are doing pretty damn well this season. While they've relinquished the top seed to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets, they're still in striking distance for the top spot despite the injuries. With a 1.5 game deficit, every match matters. With a showdown against the Cleveland Cavaliers coming up, fans are wondering: Are Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert playing vs. the Cavs?
Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert injury status vs. Cavs
Both Edwards and Gobert have been nursing injuries for the Timberwolves in their last game against the Nuggets. Edwards continues to play despite a sprained left finger sustained during his dunk. Gobert, meanwhile, has been out due to a rib injury. Unsurprisingly, both Edwards and Gobert were listed as questionable for their game against the Cavs.
Both players were hoping to suit up to propel the Timberwolves back to the top of the Western Conference. Due to the absence of their top players, Minnesota relinquished their hold on the first seed in the West. They are hoping that a return from their star players will spark a return to form as well.
Fortunately, Edwards has already been given the greenlight to play on Friday. Meanwhile, Gobert has remained a game-time decision, per Dane Moore.
Anthony Edwards' unfortunate prize for monster dunk
As mentioned, Edwards' injury was due to a dunk. It was no ordinary dunk: the Timberwolves star flew high and connected on a vicious dunk against the Jazz. So vicious, in fact, that Edwards sprained his own finger. The price you pay for a highlight, perhaps?
Still, Edwards is toughing it out and continued to play against the Nuggets. The injury didn't seem to slow him down, dropping 30 points on 50% shooting with eight rebounds and eight assists. That should give the Timberwolves faithful hope that he'll be able to play and perform well against the Cavs.
Rudy Gobert's injury woes with Timberwolves
Gobert, meanwhile, hasn't fared as well as Edwards on the injury front. The Timberwolves center has been out for nearly a week now due to what the team calls a left rib injury. Based on the injury, it seems like Gobert will be out for quite some time.
Compounding matters for the Timberwolves' frontcourt, at least for this game, is Karl-Anthony Towns' status. The star center will be out for the Cavs game due to an illness. The onus will be on Edwards to carry most of the burden on offense to power them against the Cavs.
Timberwolves' season going swimmingly
Truth be told, if you had told an NBA fan that the Timberwolves would be vying for the top seed in the West, no one would believe you. Everyone knew that Minnesota could compete in the playoffs, for sure. However, the team displayed a tremendous amount of growth this season that surprised nearly everyone. A much-improved defense and Edwards taking a big leap contributed to their run.
The Timberwolves don't really need the first seed, if we're being honest. A top-3 finish in the regular season is plenty great, and they're sure to have home-court advantage at least once. Even then, though… winning the first seed for this team would give this team a major boost.
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