Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards Sends Chilling Message to Spurs in Game 1

It was a close matchup, but the Minnesota Timberwolves narrowly beat the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, May 4, in Game 1 of their Western Conference Semifinal showdown, 104-102.

One big boost to the Timberwolves, of course, was that they had star Anthony Edwards back after being listed as week-to-week, following a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. He wasn’t expected to be back so soon, but there he was, on the court, after just nine days away.

In Game 1, Edwards scored 18 points in 25 minutes. He had a message for the Spurs during the game, too.

During the game, Edwards called out to the Spurs bench: “I’m back.”

Yes, he is back, and Edwards is helping this team. With it being such a close game, it’s pretty obvious that if Edwards hadn’t played on Monday, the Timberwolves could have lost.

In a piece out on Monday, May 4 for USA Today, Lorenzo Reyes gives his predictions for the second round of NBA matchups. He has the Timberwolves taking this series in seven games, and after Monday’s close one, that prediction makes sense.

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He even said that if Edwards wasn’t able to play, “it will be tough sledding for Minnesota, even though its defense was exceptional against the Nuggets and even though role players like Jaden McDaniels stepped up in a big way.”

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My Take: Timberwolves vs. Spurs

My thoughts: This is shaping up to be one of the closes matches in the NBA conference semifinals this season. With Edwards, both teams are evenly matched, and that’s why if any series goes to a Game 7 in this round, it’s likely to be the Timberwolves-Spurs series.

Having Edwards back is a gift, but as the game showed last night, it’s not a guarantee. Minnesota has some soul-searching to do before Game 2 if they want to lock this series down.

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 10:49 AM.