By Anthony Slater, 2026-05-05 12:44:01
圣安东尼奥讯——安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 估计在周日的某个时刻，也就是他在一次封盖尝试中左膝过度反关节伸展导致深度骨挫伤的八个夜晚后，他知道伤势已经恢复到足以出战西部半决赛首场比赛的程度。
“我确信我的上场能让大家冷静下来，”爱德华兹说道。
明尼苏达森林狼队作为这轮系列赛的巨大劣势方，面对拿到 62 胜的圣安东尼奥马刺队，在周一晚上凭借多名球员的贡献，在客场以 104-102 惊险取胜。但赛后的讨论大多集中在替补出场却抢尽风头的爱德华兹身上。
在经历了一周的水下跑步机训练和弹力带练习以缓解膝盖炎症后，爱德华兹在周六回到了训练场进行轻量训练。他的一些队友后来表示，他第一次现身就让他们初步感觉到爱德华兹可能会在第二轮回归。
但首场比赛就复出？
“没人料到他会打，”老将后卫迈克·康利 (Mike Conley) 说道。
随着周末的进行，球队消息人士向 ESPN 透露，人们对于爱德华兹的复出越来越乐观。爱德华兹以康复速度惊人而闻名，朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 称他为“金刚狼”。当时的消息倾向于他在系列赛回到明尼阿波利斯的第三场比赛复出。森林狼主帅克里斯·芬奇 (Chris Finch) 表示，他得到的关于爱德华兹最早复出时间的通知是第二场。
但爱德华兹另有打算。尽管没有进行对抗训练或分组对抗，他还是告诉球队医疗团队和管理层，他的膝盖反应良好，足以提前复出时间表。到周日晚上，他的状态被列为出战成疑。周一早上，他戴着厚重的左膝护膝参加了投篮训练。他最终为自己争取到了上场的许可。
“赛前我称他为我的英雄，”康利说道。“你会仰慕一个刚刚经历了过去一周那种磨难的人。”
森林狼队仍试图保持一定程度的谨慎，让爱德华兹替补出场。尽管第一场比赛比分一直紧咬，他们还是将他的出场时间限制在 25 分钟。
爱德华兹高效利用了这段时间，13 投 8 中得到 18 分。在双方得分效率都不高的夜晚，他提供了急需的进攻火力。
“赛前我称他为我的英雄，”迈克·康利在谈到安东尼·爱德华兹时说道。“你会仰慕一个刚刚经历了过去一周那种磨难的人。” Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
比赛中也曾出现过令人担忧的小瞬间。下半场一次转体左手上篮后，爱德华兹短暂地抓了一下左膝。他看起来并没有完全恢复弹跳，并在赛后承认，在比赛后期丢掉两个关键进攻篮板时，他并没有发挥出应有的运动能力。
但统计数据和场上表现都令人振奋。他几次运球突破防守人，在最后 9 分钟里爆发，5 投全中砍下 11 分，帮助球队锁定胜局。
“我感觉棒极了，”爱德华兹说，并表示如果需要，他已经准备好增加出场时间和球权。“教练需要我做什么，我就做什么。”
明尼苏达凭借密不透风的防守掌控了系列赛揭幕战。森林狼让达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 和维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 合计仅有 31 投 10 中。两人 12 次三分出手全部打铁。圣安东尼奥上半场仅得到 45 分。
“你只需要表现得像他不在场一样。他会送出盖帽，他是世界上最高的人。只需持续不断地进攻。有时候他会不在位置上。”
森林狼队的杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels) 谈马刺队的文班亚马
但由于文班亚马的防守，马刺队一直坚持到了最后。他送出了 12 次盖帽，刷新了 NBA 季后赛纪录，不断地拒绝着一支在上一轮系列赛中几乎没遇到篮下阻力的侵略性十足的森林狼队。相比之下，丹佛掘金队的首发中锋尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokic) 在六场比赛中总共只有 5 次盖帽。
“你只需要表现得像他不在场一样，”杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯在谈到文班亚马时说道。“他会送出盖帽，他是世界上最高的人。只需持续不断地进攻。有时候他会不在位置上。”
马刺队最后仍有机会。爱德华兹对自己最后时刻的几次头脑发热提出了批评，他的一次边线球失误给对方留下了机会。
朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 在侧翼获得了一个不错的绝杀三分机会，但球没投进，森林狼队保住了首战胜利，也成就了爱德华兹的英雄归来。
11 年前，年轻的康利在 2015 年季后赛中遭遇面部骨折，但他很快戴着面具回归，帮助人手短缺的孟菲斯灰熊队在客场赢下了对阵头号种子金州勇士队的第二场比赛。那是康利职业生涯中强韧表现的标志性时刻，周一晚上在谈到爱德华兹时，他回想起了那一幕。
“我面部骨折，大约四天后就上场了，”康利说道。“那次可能和现在很像，你本不该上场，但你还是上了。你赢下了比赛，并以某种方式激励了球队。我在他身上看到了很多我当年的影子。我为他感到无比自豪。”
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Anthony Edwards' return propels Wolves past Spurs in Game 1
Anthony Edwards’ return propels Wolves past Spurs in Game 1
SAN ANTONIO – Anthony Edwards estimated that at some point Sunday, eight nights after his left knee bent so far back on a block attempt that he suffered a deep bone bruise, he knew it had healed enough to be ready for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
“I know for a fact that me being out there calms everybody down,” Edwards said.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, entering this series as heavy underdogs to the 62-win San Antonio Spurs, pulled off a stunning 104-102 road win Monday night due to several contributors. But much of the postgame chatter was about Edwards, who came off the bench but still stole the show.
On Saturday, after a week of underwater treadmill training and band work to loosen an inflamed knee, Edwards returned to the practice court for a light workout. Some of his teammates said later that his first appearance gave them an initial inclination that Edwards could return in the second round.
But Game 1?
“Nobody expected him to play,” veteran guard Mike Conley said.
As the weekend continued, team sources indicated to ESPN a growing optimism that Edwards – a famously rapid healer whom Julius Randle refers to as “Wolverine” – was trending toward Game 3, once the series shifted to Minneapolis. Edwards’ coach, Chris Finch, said the earliest he had been told Edwards would appear was Game 2.
But Edwards had other plans. Despite no contact work or scrimmaging, he told the team’s medical staff and front office that his knee responded well enough to push up the timeline. He was listed as questionable by Sunday night. He participated in Monday morning’s shootaround with a bulky sleeve on his left knee. He pushed his way into a green light.
“I called him my hero before the game,” Conley said. “You look up to somebody for what he just put himself through the last week.”
The Timberwolves, still trying to exert some level of caution, brought Edwards off the bench. They limited him to 25 minutes despite the score being tight throughout Game 1.
Edwards optimized that run time, scoring 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, providing a needed offensive boost on a night neither team could efficiently score.
“I called him my hero before the game,” Mike Conley said of Anthony Edwards. “You look up to somebody for what he just put himself through the last week.” Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
There were slight moments of concern. Edwards grabbed at his left knee briefly after a whirling lefty layup in the second half. He didn’t appear to have his full lift and admitted postgame that he didn’t have all his necessary athleticism when he gave up a pair of big offensive rebounds late.
But the statistical production and eye test were both encouraging. He beat his defender off the dribble on a few occasions, finding that extra burst for five makes and 11 points in the final nine minutes to help close it out.
“I felt great,” Edwards said, acknowledging he’d be ready to up his minutes and usage if asked. “Whatever Coach needs from me.”
Minnesota controlled the series opener because of a swarming defense. The Timberwolves held De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama to a combined 10-of-31 shooting. Those two missed all 12 of their 3-point attempts. San Antonio scored only 45 first-half points.
“You just got to act like he’s not there. He’s gonna get blocks. He’s the tallest person in the world. Just keep consistently attacking. Sometimes he’s not going to be there.”
Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels on Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama
But the Spurs remained in it until late because of Wembanyama’s defense. He set an NBA playoff record with 12 blocks, consistently turning away an aggressive Timberwolves team that faced little rim resistance in its last series. Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets’ starting center, had only five total blocks in six games.
“You just got to act like he’s not there,” Jaden McDaniels said of Wembanyama. “He’s going to get blocks. He’s the tallest person in the world. Just keep consistently attacking. Sometimes, he’s not going to be there.”
The Spurs had a chance late. Edwards, who was critical of a few of his mental lapses in the closing minute, had an inbound turnover that cracked open the door.
Julian Champagnie had a good look at a wing 3-point attempt to win it at the buzzer, but missed, sealing the Timberwolves’ Game 1 win and setting up Edwards to be the hero.
Eleven years ago, a young Conley fractured his face in the 2015 playoffs but returned quickly with a face mask to help the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies get a Game 2 road win over the top-seeded Golden State Warriors. It’s a signature moment of toughness in Conley’s career that he harkened back to Monday night when talking about Edwards.
“Broke my face and played like four days later,” Conley said. “That was probably similar where you shouldn’t be playing but you do anyway. You win the game, and it sparks your team somehow. I saw a lot of myself in that. I’m super proud of him.”
By Anthony Slater, via ESPN