The Western Conference Finals tipped off on Tuesday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves face off with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.
Minnesota jumped out to a quick lead early on in the first quarter but Oklahoma City was able to make a comeback in a back-and-forth first quarter.
The Timberwolves were able to take a three-point advantage at the end of the first quarter and they now have a seven-point lead over midway through the second quarter.
Julius Randle has led the way for the Timberwolves thus far as he has scored 18 points to go along with three rebounds and one assist.
Anthony Edwards has also had a solid game with seven points and four rebounds, though disaster struck late in the first quarter.
Late in the first quarter, Edwards rolled his right ankle on a layup attempt that caused him to exit the game.
Anthony Edwards went back to the locker room after tweaking his ankle in Game 1 vs. OKC.
(via @espn)
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 21, 2025
The good news for the Timberwolves is that he was able to return to Tuesday’s game, but this will be a situation to monitor for the remainder of the series.
Status alert: Anthony Edwards (ankle) has returned to Tuesday’s game.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 21, 2025
Of course, Edwards also suffered an ankle injury in the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers and also in the second round against the Golden State Warriors, though he was able to play through the injuries.
It appears as though the star guard will be able to do the same throughout the remainder of Game 1 on Tuesday night but if he continues to deal with ankle injuries, it could eventually lead to a serious injury, which is something Minnesota cannot afford.