MINNEAPOLIS — If the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to close out the Denver Nuggets in their NBA first-round playoff series, they will likely have to do so without Anthony Edwards.

Edwards hyperextended his left knee and suffered a bone bruise in the team’s Game 4 victory Saturday night at Target Center and is expected to miss multiple weeks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, citing NBA sources. Testing ruled out ligament damage, Charania reported.

Edwards suffered the injury after landing awkwardly while contesting a shot from Denver forward Cam Johnson during the second quarter of Saturday’s 112-96 victory that gave the Wolves a 3-1 series lead.

Edwards had already been dealing with persistent right knee problems that were limiting his effectiveness in the series — he was just 1 for 8 from the field and had scored five points in Game 4 before exiting with 2 minutes, 36 seconds left in the second quarter. Edwards tried initially to walk off under his own power but then needed help from the athletic training staff back toward the locker room.

He has averaged 18.5 points per game in the series and shot just 35.8% from the field.

Edwards missed 10 of the final 14 regular-season games because of his right knee injury. Now his left knee injury will keep him out.

Edwards’ injury comes in addition to the season-ending right Achilles tear guard Donte DiVincenzo suffered just 1:19 into Game 4. The Wolves ended up winning behind a gritty defensive effort in the second half and a career-high 43 points from Ayo Dosunmu.

Game 5 of the series is Monday night in Denver.

Wolves forward Jaden McDaniels missed six games late in the regular season because of a bone bruise in his left knee and was out from March 26 through April 7.

If the Wolves can close out Denver, perhaps they can buy enough time for Edwards to return at some point again this postseason, but they will have to survive the immediate future without him and close out a Nuggets team with a championship pedigree that has overcome 3-1 series deficits previously (in 2020 against both the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers).

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