Anthony Edwards did the unthinkable on Monday night in San Antonio. Just nine days after a nasty fall left him with a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise, the Minnesota Timberwolves superstar laced up his sneakers for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. And he didn't just play—he dazzled.

On a strict minutes restriction, Edwards dropped 18 points on efficient shooting in just 25 minutes. Eleven of those came in the fourth quarter, fueling the offensive firepower that helped Minnesota pull off an upset on the road. "Ant was awesome," Wolves head coach Chris Finch said. "He was really good. Forgot how good he was, actually."

Veteran guard Mike Conley called Edwards his "hero" for battling through the injury and returning so quickly. Simply stepping on the court was impressive. Delivering in a critical playoff win? That was nothing short of remarkable.

Edwards credited David Hines, the team's vice president of medical operations and performance therapy, for getting him back in action. The key after a hyperextension, Edwards explained, is preventing the knee from stiffening up—which is exactly what your body wants to do after an injury. But Edwards trusted Hines, who pushed him through intense pain in the days following the fall, focusing on resistance work like pool running and band exercises.

After the game, Edwards said he felt "great" with "no limitations." That might be a stretch, but he was certainly good enough to make a massive impact in a massive win.

So why wasn't he celebrating?

In his post-game, on-court TV interview immediately after the victory, Edwards was anything but jubilant. "I'm disappointed in myself," he said. "I made so many mistakes at the end of the game."

With Minnesota up by seven and just 100 seconds left, Julian Champagnie grabbed two second-chance buckets off offensive boards—both times because Edwards failed to box him out. "I can't give up two offensive rebounds to Champagnie," Edwards said. "I may not be as athletic as I usually am, but I've got to be able to box out and make those small plays to win the big-time games."

Then, with 33 seconds left and the Wolves up by four, Edwards threw a risky inbounds pass to Julius Randle. It was knocked away, scooped up by Dylan Harper, and turned into a fast-break dunk that cut the lead to two.

Both Edwards and Finch acknowledged the mistake. But here's the thing: even on a night when he wasn't at 100 percent—and even when his own standards left him frustrated—Edwards still found a way to help his team win. That's the mark of a true superstar.