The Pacers dropped to 0-3, a start far from what they expected. The Timberwolves pulled off a 114-110 win, surviving a rocky first quarter to secure the victory and improving their record to 2-1. Guard Donte DiVincenzo contributed 17 points for Minnesota, while Naz Reid added 16 off the bench. The Pacers were led by All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, who put up 33 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and handed out eight assists. And then there’s the much-debated potential face of the NBA, Anthony Edwards, who is currently sidelined in the locker room.

Minnesota Timberwolves’ star Anthony Edwards was forced to sit out the remainder of Sunday’s matchup against the Pacers after experiencing tightness in his right hamstring. When asked later about any update on Edwards’ condition, Wolves head coach Chris Finch kept it short and simple and said in one word: “No.”

No details on the severity of the injury, his status for upcoming games, or recovery timeline. For now, fans are left with nothing but speculation. The setback came early, just three minutes into the home opener, when Edwards went down finishing a layup for his second basket of the night.

He started strong, knocking down an early three-pointer before leaving the court. Bones Hyland stepped in to take his place.

Anthony Edwards had already been a question mark heading into Minnesota’s season opener against Portland on Wednesday night, listed as questionable due to back spasms. But the star guard didn’t let that slow him down.

In 39 minutes of action, he poured in 41 points, hitting several clutch shots to help the Timberwolves secure the win. Edwards followed that up with another strong performance on Friday against the Lakers, scoring 31 points, even though Minnesota came up short.

With Sunday’s hamstring issue, fans hope it’s just a minor setback. Any extended time off would be a severe blow for the Timberwolves, who rely heavily on Edwards’ scoring and leadership.

Since being drafted first overall in 2020, Edwards has been one of the league’s most reliable players regarding availability. Before Sunday’s game, he had appeared in 383 of 402 possible regular-season contests, an impressive 95.3%, showing both durability and consistency.

The Timberwolves’ ceiling directly relates to how far Anthony Edwards can take them. The team’s leadership has no doubts about his potential. “We think he’s not only a great player, but can be one of the greatest players of all time,” Timberwolves front office head Tim Connelly said, underlining just how crucial Edwards is to Minnesota’s ambitions.

Coach Chris Finch has been equally vocal about Edwards’ upside, highlighting his MVP-caliber talent. “Continue to be that every-night player at a high level that we know he can be, which is what you need to do if you want to be MVP in this league,” Finch said. “I certainly think he has the DNA for it; he just has to embrace it.”

The coach clearly sees Edwards as a star and someone who could carry the franchise to new heights.

Edwards’ durability and production back up those high expectations. Last season, he missed just three regular-season games, averaging 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, while shooting nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc. Now entering his sixth season in Minnesota, he’s maintaining a career average of 23.9 points per game.

But obviously, the team isn’t built on Edwards alone.

Finch credits veteran depth for Timberwolves’ resilience

Even with their star player exiting early, the Timberwolves held strong and beat the Pacers. The secret? Head coach Chris Finch believes the roster has plenty of experience to carry the team.

At the post-game press conference about how the squad coped without Edwards, Finch said, “No, I think, I mean possibly, I don’t know, I think we got a lot of experienced guys out there, who stepped up. Julius [Randle] certainly had it going even before Ed got out, but he was able to get it going. There are a lot of experienced guys that are able to play…”

Julius Randle carried the Timberwolves on his shoulders, pouring in 31 points and dishing out six assists. Rudy Gobert was a force in the paint, dominating with 14 points and 18 rebounds while hitting 6 of 7 shots. Naz Reid shook off a rough couple of games on the road and added a strong 16 points and 10 boards.

The Wolves held a tight lead for most of the night, even when the Pacers got within 110-108 with just over 40 seconds left.

But a clutch layup from Jaden McDaniels pushed Minnesota back up by four, and with Bones Hyland coming off the bench, the team leaned on Randle to run the offense, who had already lit up the first half with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

Minnesota took control in the third quarter, showing they’re more than Anthony Edwards. Gobert, quiet in Friday’s loss, came alive with seven points and eight rebounds, while Donte DiVincenzo chipped in six. The Timberwolves dominated the period 28-17, drawing 11 fouls and committing only three.

Edwards watched from the bench in a gray hoodie and black shades, but his absence didn’t slow the Wolves (now 2-1). The team proved they have the depth, experience, and firepower to win even without their star on the floor.