Anthony Edwards may be back a lot sooner than it looked just a few days ago.

The Timberwolves listed Edwards as questionable for Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night after clearing him for on-court activities, a sharp turn from the expectation that his hyperextended left knee and bone bruise would likely keep him out longer.

That matters because the original fear around the injury was real. Edwards hurt the knee in Game 4 against Denver on April 25 and was initially considered week-to-week, with Minnesota bracing for the possibility that its best player could miss the start of the next round.

Instead, only eight days later, the Wolves are leaving the door open for him to play in the opener.

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The update does not mean he is definitely playing. It means Minnesota has moved him far enough along that the decision now looks like a game-day call rather than a straightforward absence. Edwards’ availability will depend on pain management and whether he can regain enough strength and mobility in the knee.

That is a massive development for Minnesota because Edwards is not just another scorer on the roster. He averaged 28.8 points per game during the regular season and remains the player defenses are built around. Through the Denver series, he averaged 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds, even while the injury and the series grind clearly affected him.

The Wolves also have another important name on the injury report. Ayo Dosunmu is listed as questionable for Game 1 with right calf soreness, which means Minnesota could still be navigating uncertainty in the backcourt even with the encouraging Edwards news.

Dosunmu was huge in the first round and led the Wolves in scoring during the Denver series after injuries hit.

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Game 1 is scheduled for Monday night in San Antonio at Frost Bank Center, and the matchup already looked dangerous enough without injury questions hanging over it.

The Spurs come in after destroying the Trailblazers and now get a Minnesota team that may have its star back, but likely not at full comfort even if he does go. Still, for Minnesota fans thinking it would be a game 3 or 4 return at best, there is a glimmer of hope that Ant could be back on the floor as soon as Monday.

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