‘Strong optimism’ that Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards returns vs. Warriors on Sunday

The Golden State Warriors have a pivotal Western Conference matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night. The good news for basketball fans is that both teams have been getting healthier as the league enters the final stretch of the regular season. This is especially true for Minnesota as Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reports that Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards could make his return Sunday against the Warriors after missing the past three games with an ankle injury.

Edwards injured his ankle early in Minnesota’s game against the Chicago Bulls last Friday. He was attempting a jump pass at the top of the key when he landed awkwardly on his right ankle. In clear pain, Edwards had to be helped off the court and reportedly left the game wearing a walking boot.

Fortunately for Edwards, the injury looked a lot more serious than it actually was as he is now likely to be ready for Sunday’s game against the Warriors. The Timberwolves were able to hold things steady in his absence — winning two out of their following three games since he went down. With Edwards’ return, Minnesota gets back his team-leading 24.7 points per game and reunites him with teammate Karl Anthony-Towns who came back on Wednesday after missing 51 games due to a calf strain.

From a seeding perspective, the Warriors currently rank sixth in the West with a record of 39-36 and lead the Timberwolves by 1.5 games. With Golden State leading the season series against the Timberwolves 2-1, they can own the tie breaker with a win on Sunday which could be huge down the stretch considering the logjam that is the Western Conference standings.