The Minnesota Timberwolves will need to find a way to win without their best player.
Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves’ top scorer, will not be available Tuesday night because of a sore right knee. His teammates will try to pick up the slack in his absence when they tip off against the Phoenix Suns in Minneapolis.
The Timberwolves are 6-4 this season when playing without the 2026 All-Star Game MVP.
The contest marks the start of a three-game homestand for Minnesota, which returns home from a 1-3 road trip. The Timberwolves ended the trek with a 116-103 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is looking for a fresh start in a familiar environment.
“It wasn’t a great trip. No denying that,” Finch said. “We would’ve liked to come out of here with another win or two at least. But it’s the West. Everything’s tough. Have to focus on what we have to do ahead of us at home.”
The first test is against Phoenix, which will play on short rest after flying in from Boston late Monday night. The Suns lost 120-112 against the Celtics on Monday.
Phoenix has dropped back-to-back games after winning the previous four in a row.
Suns reserve Jordan Goodwin said he and his teammates cannot afford to let a two-game skid turn into a prolonged slump. Phoenix is 10 games above .500 and competing for playoff positioning with the Timberwolves in a competitive Western Conference.
“It’s tough,” Goodwin told reporters in Boston. “All losses right now are tough. (This) hurts a little bit more because of what we’re playing for.”
Goodwin said a quick turnaround against Minnesota provided a chance to change the narrative.
“Huge,” Goodwin said. “We need it bad. Need all the games right now. Especially a team that’s in front of us in the standings. We’ve got to go get this one (Tuesday night).”
The Suns will catch a break in avoiding Edwards, who played the past two games despite being listed as questionable because of knee soreness. The injury appeared to affect him against the Thunder as he finished with 19 points on 6-for-17 shooting.
On the season, Edwards is averaging 29.5 points per game on 49.2% shooting. Julius Randle ranks second on the team at 21.1 points per game, and Jaden McDaniels rounds out the top three scorers with 14.5 points per contest.
Naz Reid, who is fourth on Minnesota at 13.7 points per game, is listed as questionable for the Tuesday game because of a right shoulder contusion. He has played through pain recently and appeared to aggravate the injury on a drive to the basket against Oklahoma City.
Phoenix is led in scoring by Devin Booker, who is coming off a 40-point night against the Celtics. He puts up 25.7 points per game. Booker made 15 of 24 shots from the field on Monday, 2 of 7 shots from beyond the arc and 8 of 9 free-throw attempts.
Haywood Highsmith also will look to stay hot after scoring a season-high 16 points off the Phoenix bench. He made 4 of 5 shots from 3-point range.
This is the third and final meeting of the regular season between the teams. The Suns won each of the first two matchups, 114-113 on Nov. 21 in Phoenix and 108-105 on Dec. 8 in Minneapolis.
–Field Level Media
