Minnesota won its home court battle last night and took a 3-1 lead, but the victory came at a steep cost, along with an unlikely hero emerging. Ayo Dosunmu, who signed with the Timberwolves from Chicago in February, was the team’s silver lining. Signed for his strong and neat defensive plays, he put up a career-high 43 points off the bench. Surely, head coach Chris Finch wouldn’t mind Dosunmu becoming a savvy scorer, since the team unfortunately lost key players to serious injuries at the worst possible time…

They not only lost guard Donte DiVincenzo barely a minute into the game, but also face growing uncertainty around Anthony Edwards. Finch didn’t hide his emotions. “Completely devastating for Donte,” the Timberwolves coach told the media. “He had been playing so well. He had such a great season. He’s the heart and soul of so many things that we do. You could just see the look in his eye when it happened; you kind of just knew. We’ll love him, and we’ll be there for him.” Here’s how DiVincenzo got injured.

As Saturday’s Game 4 barely began, DiVincenzo took a deep 3-pointer at the 10:44 mark. It wasn’t the perfect shot, and it bounced off the hoop. And as he tried to chase the rebound and planted with his right foot, he immediately fell to the hardwood, grabbing at his heel. Something was wrong, and the veteran quickly signaled for the training staff. He needed help to get off the court, and moments later, the Timberwolves ruled DiVincenzo out of the game with a lower leg injury.

Soon after the game, Minnesota confirmed that DiVincenzo suffered a torn right Achilles tendon. He started all 82 games for the first time in his career this season. His 30.4 minutes per game were also a career high. That’s exactly why Finch called him the heart and soul of the team. His impact in the series had been clear, averaging 13.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists through the first three games. He also stood out defensively and from deep with 2.3 steals per game against Denver while shooting 11-of-22 from deep. Unfortunately, this marks the second time that his postseason run has been cut short by injury.

This setback echoes a painful moment earlier in his career. In 2021, while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, DiVincenzo suffered a torn ligament in his left ankle, sidelining him for the remainder of the playoffs. That same postseason ended with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading Milwaukee to a championship. Although DiVincenzo didn’t return after the first round, he still earned a ring for his contributions earlier in the season. Now, he’ll once again be limited to supporting from the sidelines as the Timberwolves try to close out the series. However, this was the Timberwolves’ only setback…

Minnesota’s injury concerns deepened when Edwards went down later in the game. He had already missed 11 of the Wolves’ 14 final games with a “runner’s knee” injury in his right knee, and he has been managing discomfort in both knees throughout the series. Despite that, the 24-year-old continued to produce scores. But in Game 3, things took a turn for the worse when he played just 24 minutes, struggling with foul trouble throughout the night. And tonight, Ant-Man’s injury problem became more serious.

Late in the first half, Edwards’ left knee appeared to buckle as he landed after contesting a layup. He was helped to the locker room and later ruled out for the remainder of the game. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, “Anthony Edwards is set to undergo tests on his injured left knee.” This knee injury looked eerily similar to one of those nasty hyperextensions Paul George has dealt with in his career. Both times, the knee snapped backward beyond its limits as the player came down from a contested shot or drive, as if the joint had been forced the wrong way at full speed.

When George hyperextended his knee in the past (what analysts casually called a “hyperextended knee”), the numbers showed most guys miss about 6-7 days if it’s nothing more than a mild strain or bone bruise. That quick turnaround only holds up when imaging confirms no real damage. Anything involving bigger ligament or meniscus trouble? You’re suddenly talking weeks or even months.

But Edwards’ case feels different right away. It happened at playoff speed, the knee buckled hard on landing, and he needed help just to get off the court. With an MRI already in the works and chatter about possible ACL or capsule issues, everyone’s treating this as way more serious than your average hyperextension. The mechanism looks alike, but don’t count on the same short recovery like the 76ers star got. The mood after the game reflected both concern and uncertainty. When asked for an update, Finch kept it brief: “Nothing definitive.” He later added, “Losing those two guys is really tough, tough emotionally for our guys.”

Sports medicine expert Brian Sutterer noted that injuries like this can range in severity, from minor hyperextensions to more serious ligament damage, such as ACL or PCL tears. For now, the Timberwolves are left waiting for clarity, hoping that after losing DiVincenzo, Edwards’ injury won’t prove just as devastating. The series now moves back to Denver for Game 5, and Finch will desperately want his troops to get that fourth win in the bag and close the series. And confidence will still be high because they won Game 2 at Ball Arena. Winning on Monday will give them a few days’ rest before the next round begins, something Minnesota definitely needs to regroup, regardless of Ant-Man’s status.