Souhan: Pondering the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, whose injuries are no worry but whose shooting is

The Timberwolves and Warriors have much in common.

They’re both low seeds that surged in the spring.

They both enjoyed having Jimmy Butler on their team for about three months.

They’re both missing their great three-point shooters.

Warriors star Steph Curry is out for at least a week because of a hamstring strain, and he may not play again, no matter how long this series lasts.

Wolves star Anthony Edwards, who set a franchise record for three-pointers this year, is suddenly treating the painted arc like it’s a large, venomous snake.

Thursday night at Target Center, the Wolves eased by the Warriors 117-93 to tie the series at one win apiece. Because of the Wolves’ embarrassing performance in Game 1, this victory was more necessary than admirable.

What remains worrisome is that Edwards was 1-for-16 from the three-point line in his two previous games, and on Thursday, he looked hesitant to launch long shots.

He took four three-pointers, making two, which is an improvement because anything other than crippling self-doubt was going to be an improvement.

Edwards had not attempted as few as four three-pointers in a game since last year’s playoffs.

“I thought he did a really good job,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “He stayed aggressive, getting downhill, got to the free-throw line, shot the ball well when it came to him. He played within the flow.”

Edwards’ three-pointers were his only made jump shots. “Not enough,” Edwards said of his attempts. “I don’t know what it is. They don’t let me shoot threes. I don’t know. They let me get to the rim, which is kind of weird. I’ve got to get back to working on my finishing and stop working on my threes if they’re not going to let me shoot them.”

Sounds smart, unless you believe in these mysterious new analytics, like arithmetic. If the Wolves are to win a championship, they’ll need to be efficient if not spectacular from the arc, and right now Edwards is not closely associated with either adjective.

Edwards needs to find a shot doctor who’s as effective as the witch doctor who helps him instantly recover from seemingly life-threatening injuries.

In the second quarter, Edwards was falling under the basket when the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on Edwards’ left leg.

At halftime, the questions were: Broken leg? High ankle sprain? Maybe he’ll be ready for training camp?

How silly of us. Edwards’ leg looked fine in the second half.

“This one, I was planning on not seeing him the rest of the rest of the night,” Finch said.

“That one was bad,” Edwards said. “That was crazy.

“I’ll be all right.”

Edwards played well in general, producing nine rebounds, five assists and three steals, running the Wolves’ offense unselfishly.

But he didn’t play quite like a star.

And he didn’t play like he had full confidence in the offensive arsenal that made him a star.

The Wolves may be able to beat the Warriors without Edwards shooting well. They may even be able to win four straight and end this series before Curry has a chance to return.

If winning a championship is the goal, the Wolves will need Absolute Ant in this series, or in Oklahoma City, or in the much-anticipated NBA Finals featuring Wolves outcasts Karl-Anthony Towns and Tom Thibodeau.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Nickeil Alexander-Walker drove and kicked to Edwards in the corner, and Edwards swished a three-pointer, giving him a palate cleanser before he headed to the basketball and culinary mecca of San Francisco.

This game ended the way Game 1 should have — with the Wolves emptying their bench as the starters celebrated on the sideline.

The Wolves have no excuse to end any games in this series any other way.

Edwards’ three-pointers were his only two made jump shots?

Maybe those shots will be the basketball equivalent of the bloop single that breaks a slugger out of a slump. Or maybe a tentative Edwards is all the Wolves will need in this sans-Curry series.