Tonight, the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder for a marquee Western Conference matchup, and now, the team has received even better news. Superstar guard Anthony Edwards, set to be a game-time decision today, has been cleared to play. That’s not where the good news ends, though.

According to Timberwolves reporter Chris Hine, head coach Chris Finch revealed that Edwards won’t be on a minutes restriction. The shooting guard has been sidelined with a right foot injury for the team’s last three games, but participated in shootaround earlier today.

This is a significant relief for the Timberwolves, who would’ve had to rely on Julius Randle for team-leading production against the defending champions, possibly overburdening him. Edwards is having his best season yet this year, logging 28.7 points on 50% from the field and 41.6% from three, along with 4.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

With Edwards playing, the only key player the team is missing is Mike Conley, who is sitting with Achilles tendinopathy. On the other end, the Thunder are missing sharpshooter Aaron Wiggins with adductor soreness and backup big Jaylin Williams with heel bursitis, as well as Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber with offseason surgeries.

Minnesota’s defense will face their biggest test tonight in a recent inconsistent stretch with the Thunder‘s ball movement and three-point shooting. If the Thunder get started early, the Wolves might find themselves chasing the game, and that’s where Edwards’ scoring ability really shines.

With the Wolves entering as clear underdogs following their loss in last season’s Western Conference Finals in dominating fashion, but Edwards did have outstanding offensive production during the series, even dropping 30 points in three quarters in Game 3.

Minnesota Timberwolves Lean on Depth and Grit as OKC Thunder Loom Large

For the Minnesota Timberwolves, this isn’t just another game on the schedule, but a stress test. The team is in the middle of a five-game homestand, quietly winning seven of their last nine, but losing to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday exposed cracks in their foundation.

Without Anthony Edwards, the Wolves struggled with late-game execution and physicality, and tonight is about if the Wolves can sustain winning habits when the margin for error is as thin as it is against the Thunder.

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With Edwards missing, the team’s burden shifted towards Julius Randle for shot creation, and Donte DiVincenzo to stretch defenses. The guard posted 19 points and 11 boards against the Grizzlies, but the message he delivered afterward was brutal, because Minnesota didn’t lose to a scheme, but to their own approach.

“You have to look yourself in the mirror,” he told reporters afterward. “No matter what team we play, we can make quick decisions, we can make quick reads, we can get downhill and spray it out, and we can turn the ball over less.”

That reality looms over the team against the Thunder. The defending champions’ two losses didn’t come because of their own mistakes, simply because they were outplayed. Against a team which thrives on forcing empty possessions and sloppy turnovers, Edwards and the Wolves need to impose their own style of play, or risk getting exposed.