Timberwolves lose Edwards, DiVincenzo to injuries in pivotal Game 4

The Timberwolves’ hold on the series cracked in a matter of minutes, as Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo both left Game 4 with leg injuries that could reshape Minnesota’s playoff run. With the Timberwolves up 2-1 on the Denver Nuggets entering the night at Target Center, the double blow turned a pivotal home game into a far bigger test of depth, health and survival.

Edwards exited late in the second quarter after appearing to hyperextend his left knee while contesting a layup against Cam Johnson at the rim. He was 1-of-8 shooting before leaving and was scheduled to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. Through the first three games of the series, Edwards had averaged 23.0 points and 8.0 rebounds, making him Minnesota’s clearest advantage in a matchup that had already tilted on his scoring and shot creation.

DiVincenzo’s injury arrived even earlier and carried an even darker prognosis. He left after 79 seconds with a noncontact lower right-leg injury, and sources told Shams Charania he suffered a torn right Achilles. By halftime, he was out of the arena in a wheelchair. The Minnesota Star Tribune confirmed the Achilles tear would end his postseason, stripping Minnesota of one of its most reliable perimeter threats just as the series entered its most unstable phase.

The timing magnified the damage. DiVincenzo had averaged 14.3 points in the first three games and shot 11-of-22 from three-point range, production that gave Minnesota spacing and a second scoring lane when defenses loaded up on Edwards. He had also started all 82 regular-season games, averaged 12.2 points and made 244 three-pointers, sixth-most in the NBA. Remove that kind of availability from the rotation, and Chris Finch is left to rebuild the backcourt on the fly.

If Edwards’ knee keeps him out beyond Game 4, Minnesota loses the engine that made the series manageable in the first place. If DiVincenzo is gone for the rest of the postseason, the Wolves lose a full-time starter and one of their best shooters, and Denver’s path through the Western bracket suddenly looks cleaner. The Nuggets already had a chance to answer a 2-1 deficit; these injuries could turn that opportunity into a complete series reset.