Anthony Edwards heads to locker room with apparent injury during Game 1 vs. Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers held a seven-point lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves after the first quarter of Game 1. Minnesota's offense was sloppy and lazy, incapable of generating consistent rim pressure and ball movement against a much smaller and less physical group.

Then the Wolves emerged from hibernation.

Minnesota outscored L.A. 38-20 in a second quarter thwacking. The rebounding disparity spiked, Minnesota began locating the fissures in L.A.'s paint defense, and the Lakers' offense hit brick wall after brick wall against a stout Timberwolves frontcourt.

That momentum carried into the third quarter, in which Minnesota's lead ballooned over 20 points. With three minutes left on the clock, however, Anthony Edwards drove to the hoop, took a bump, and fell awkwardly to the ground. He winced in pain, stood up, and walked straight to the locker room, setting off alarm bells all across the Land of 1,000 Lakers.

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Anthony Edwards appears to hurt leg in third quarter of Wolves-Lakers Game 1

He did not return for the remainder of the third quarter and his status is undetermined for the final frame.

Update: Edwards dealt with a cramp and was treated in the locker room. He returned to the game with 10:44 left in the fourth quarter.

In roughly five minutes of game time without Edwards on the floor, L.A. reeled off a 20-8 run. There is no denying Edwards' importance to this Wolves offense. For all of Minnesota's size and physicality, it becomes difficult to generate points without Edwards' paint touches or pull-up shooting. He is the engine through which Minnesota runs.

Before the injury, Edwards put up 17 points, five rebounds and seven assists on 6-of-16 shooting in 29 minutes. Without reason to doubt his health moving forward, this feels like nothing more than a brief scare for Minnesota fans. He made a shot at the 10:40 mark in the fourth quarter and appears to be moving well.

Now, we wait to see if the Timberwolves can regain control of this game with Edwards on the floor, or if the Lakers can sustain this momentum down the stretch. It's never wise to discount the team with Luka Dončić and LeBron James, so even with a cushy double-digit lead, the Wolves are working against the clock. Edwards will need to lock back in quickly.