Sources: Wolves expect Edwards to play Game 1

SAN ANTONIO — Nine days after badly hyperextending his left knee and suffering a bone bruise, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards is expected to play in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs barring a pregame setback, league sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Edwards is known as a quick healer, and team sources indicated to ESPN in recent days a growing optimism that Edwards could make it back in the early portion of the series, pointing to Game 3 as a realistic target.

But the Timberwolves star has been working around the clock rehabbing that left knee in an effort to expedite the process. He went through a few light workouts over the weekend and was a participant in the team’s shootaround Monday morning in San Antonio.

“I’m on record calling him a Wolverine,” teammate Julius Randle said. “I remember last year being here at the beginning of the year and he’d take a nasty fall or a hit, we’d have to call timeout and [I’d think], ‘Damn, he might be hurt for real.’ Then he just gets up.”

Edwards was spotted putting a sleeve over his left knee after shootaround opened to reporters Monday morning. He then went through a shooting routine, testing that knee with a few quick dribble step-backs.

While they expect Edwards to return, the Wolves announced they will be without guard Ayo Dosunmu for Monday’s game. He missed Game 6 against the Nuggets last week due to right calf soreness after scoring 43 points in Game 5.

Edwards missed the final two games of the Timberwolves’ first-round series against the Denver Nuggets. His teammates were able to close it out at home in Game 6, giving Edwards a runway to push back into the lineup for a challenging date with the Spurs, who went 62-20.