Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been ruled out for Thursday’s game at Detroit after initially being listed as questionable, the team announced.
Edwards is dealing with right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome in addition to an illness. With the absence, he will fall short of the NBA’s 65-game minimum and will be ineligible for major postseason awards.
The 24-year-old had been a strong candidate for another All-NBA selection, having earned second-team honors in each of the past two seasons. Through 59 games, he’s averaging a career-best 29.3 points to go with 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per contest while shooting .493 from the field, .404 from three-point range and .797 from the line.
Minnesota has six games remaining, but even if Edwards appears in all of them, he won’t reach the threshold. One of his appearances earlier this season lasted just three minutes and does not count toward the 65-game requirement.
The Timberwolves enter Thursday at 46-29, currently holding the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. They sit comfortably ahead of No. 7 Phoenix but remain within striking distance of both Denver (No. 4) and Houston (No. 5).
With Edwards sidelined, guard Ayo Dosunmu is expected to step into a larger role. Dosunmu is coming off a triple-double performance in Monday’s win at Dallas, finishing with 18 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists.
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