Timberwolves lose Jaden McDaniels as Minnesota makes playoff push

DALLAS — Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels will be week to week while dealing with patella tendinopathy in his left knee and a bone bruise, the team announced Monday — a big blow as they jockey for position in the Western Conference playoff race.

McDaniels, who was injured in a win over the Houston Rockets last week, will not need surgery and the team is prioritizing getting him ready for the playoffs, league sources told The Athletic. McDaniels is having a career-best season, averaging 14.8 points and hitting 42 percent of his 3-pointers while also serving as the Timberwolves’ primary defender of their opponent’s best scorer.

One of the most durable players on the roster, McDaniels has played at least 70 games in each of the past five seasons. He has played in 71 games this year, keeping him eligible for end-of-season awards.

The Wolves will miss his shot creation on offense nearly as much as his dogged perimeter defense. McDaniels has emerged this season as a potent scorer, especially in transition. He is shooting 52 percent overall, often using his long arms and 6-foot-10 frame to rise up over smaller defenders for quality looks in the paint.

Minnesota has been one of the healthiest teams in the league this season, but injuries have been piling up over the past few weeks. Ayo Dosunmu missed the last two games with a sore right calf muscle, but he was listed as available to play against Dallas on Monday night. Anthony Edwards (right knee) missed the last six games and was listed as questionable for the game against the Mavericks, though all signs point to him making a return.

The Timberwolves (45-29) are tied with Houston for fifth in the West and two games behind fourth-place Denver.

The injuries come at a difficult time in the schedule. After the game against Dallas, the Wolves have a back-to-back at the end of the week at Detroit and Philadelphia, come home for Charlotte and then face Indiana, Orlando and Houston on the road next week.