Donte DiVincenzo suffered a torn Achilles and Anthony Edwards left with a knee injury
The Minnesota Timberwolves lost both of their starting guards before the end of the first half Saturday night and still found a way to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-96, taking a 3-1 series lead in their Western Conference first-round playoff matchup. What should have been a straightforward home win turned into one of the more unsettling nights of the postseason.
Donte DiVincenzo went down just 79 seconds into the game. He missed a three-point attempt early in the first quarter and planted his right leg to chase the offensive rebound. The leg gave out beneath him. He went to the floor immediately, waving the bench over, and was helped to the locker room without putting any weight on his foot. By halftime, he was seen leaving the arena in a wheelchair with a splint on his right leg. ESPN reported he had suffered a torn right Achilles tendon, ending his season.
Anthony Edwards followed. With 2:43 left in the second quarter, Edwards jumped to contest a drive by Denver wing Cam Johnson and landed badly, his left knee bending backward on impact. He hit the floor and slapped the court in frustration before being helped into the tunnel, unable to walk on his own. The Timberwolves ruled him out at halftime. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the damage.
Coach Finch visibly shaken by the losses
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch did not hide how much the injuries affected the team emotionally. He became visibly emotional when asked about DiVincenzo specifically, calling him the heart of the group and saying the team was devastated. When asked about the broader picture, he described Saturday as the most proud he had been of his team all season.
Finch said he did not yet know what the lineup would look like for Game 5 in Denver on Monday, adding he would spend Sunday trying to assess what he had available. Edwards’ status remains uncertain pending the MRI results.
DiVincenzo had been one of the more consistent performers in the series, averaging 14.3 points over the first three games while shooting well from three. He started all 82 regular-season games this year, averaged 12.2 points, and ranked sixth in the NBA with 244 made three-pointers. He is in the third year of a four-year, $46.8 million contract.
Dosunmu fills the void in a record-setting performance
With their two starting guards gone, the Timberwolves turned to Ayo Dosunmu, and he responded with one of the more remarkable performances of this postseason. Dosunmu finished with 43 points off the bench, becoming just the fourth player in NBA history to score 40 or more points as a reserve in a playoff game.
Minnesota trailed at halftime 54-50 despite the circumstances, but regrouped and pulled away in the second half. The Nuggets had no answer for Dosunmu as the game opened up, and the Timberwolves converted a narrow deficit into a 16-point final margin.
Dosunmu spoke after the game about what the win meant in the context of the injuries, saying the performance was for his teammates and that the organization cares deeply about both players. Mike Conley stepped in at point guard to start the second half in place of Edwards and helped stabilize the offense during the critical stretch run.
Series shifts to Denver with questions still unanswered
Minnesota now holds a commanding 3-1 advantage, needing just one more win to advance. Game 5 is scheduled for Monday in Denver. The Nuggets, the three seed in the Western Conference, now face elimination against a Timberwolves team that just beat them shorthanded.
How available Edwards will be going forward, or whether he plays at all, is the central question heading into the week. DiVincenzo’s season is finished. The Timberwolves proved Saturday they can compete without both, but doing so again on the road against a desperate Denver team is a different challenge entirely.