Timberwolves take 3-1 lead, injuries

Minnesota beat Denver 112-96 in Game 4 on Saturday, but the Timberwolves walked out of Target Center with two major injuries. (nba.com) (espn.com) The win gave the sixth-seeded Timberwolves a 3-1 lead over the third-seeded Nuggets in their Western Conference first-round series. Game 5 is Monday night, April 27, in Denver. (nba.com) Donte DiVincenzo went down 1:19 into the game with what coach Chris Finch said afterward was an Achilles tendon injury. NBA.com later reported the Achilles was torn and that his season is over. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Anthony Edwards was hurt late in the second quarter when his left knee appeared to buckle as he landed after contesting a layup. He was helped to the locker room and ruled out for the rest of the game. (nba.com) (espn.com) Minnesota still pulled away because Ayo Dosunmu came off the bench and scored 43 points, a career high, while Nikola Jokić had 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists for Denver. (nba.com) (abcnews.com) The injuries changed the shape of the series immediately. Minnesota is one win from the second round, but it may have to try to finish Denver without its top scorer and without one of its starting guards for the rest of the playoffs. (nba.com) By Sunday, NBA.com reported Edwards was likely to miss several weeks with a bone bruise and hyperextended left knee, citing ESPN. That timeline extends beyond a possible close to this series. (nba.com) (cbssports.com) Finch said after Game 4 that he felt "completely devastated" for DiVincenzo. The Timberwolves got the 3-1 lead they wanted, but the cost was clear before halftime. (abcnews.com)