Why Anthony Edwards Missed the Start of Wolves-Mavs: 'Nature Calls'

Making his return after missing six games with a knee injury, Anthony Edwards was in the announced starting lineup for the Timberwolves on Monday night in Dallas. But when the two teams took the court for the opening tip-off, No. 5 in white was nowhere to be found. It was veteran Mike Conley who got the starting nod in Edwards' place.

Fortunately, it wasn't an extended absence. Edwards quickly showed up and checked into the game after one minute and one second of game time had elapsed. Also fortunate is that there's a simple explanation for Edwards' delayed arrival...and it's exactly what you might assume.

"Nature calls, I guess," head coach Chris Finch told The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski in his postgame press conference.

Edwards confirmed that report. "I was taking a s***," he said.

Ant confirms: “I was taking a shit.”
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) March 31, 2026

It's the second time since Edwards' rookie year that he's come off the bench in a game. Something similar happened in a March 2024 game at Target Center, when Edwards checked in for Nickeil Alexander-Walker after 35 seconds.

After his bathroom detour, Edwards looked like himself in his first game in 15 days. He played 23 minutes and scored 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting in the Wolves' 124-94 win over the Mavericks. Edwards hit two threes, threw down two dunks, and generally appeared healthy following his six-game absence with a right knee injury. Minnesota won his minutes by 29 points.

"Ant was awesome," Finch said. "His defense was outstanding. Just let the game come to him, stayed aggressive, made quicker decisions. I thought he was really good. And things looked kind of easy for him, as a result."

Anthony Edwards | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Wolves were clearly monitoring Edwards' minutes more than usual. He played about seven minutes of game time in both the first and second quarters, then nine minutes in the third split into two shifts. With the Wolves up big, he was able to rest for the entire fourth quarter.

"Mostly just his wind, his game fitness," Finch said when asked what the Wolves were paying attention to with their superstar. "And obviously his shot, if it looks a little off. But he had the one in transition which was pure. And once that went in, I thought 'OK, he's good.'"

Edwards and the Wolves now have a couple days off before facing the East-leading Pistons on Thursday in Detroit. If Edwards plays in each of the final seven games of this season, he'll reach the 65-game mark required for All-NBA eligibility. That would require playing in a pair of back-to-backs, which Finch hasn't ruled out.

"I've not been told that he can't (play on consecutive nights)," Finch said. "So we'll see how he reacts to tonight's minutes, that's the most important thing."