Donte DiVincenzo suffers torn Achilles
- Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo tore his right Achilles tendon 79 seconds into Game 4 on April 25, ending his postseason run. - Minnesota still beat Denver 112-96 for a 3-1 lead, with Ayo Dosunmu scoring a career-high 43 points off the bench. - The loss hits a Wolves backcourt already dealing with Anthony Edwards’ knee injury uncertainty. (espn.com)
Donte DiVincenzo’s postseason is over after the Minnesota Timberwolves guard tore his right Achilles tendon 79 seconds into Game 4 against Denver on Saturday, April 25. (espn.com) (cbssports.com) DiVincenzo went down on a non-contact play after attempting a 3-pointer, grabbed at his lower right leg and had to leave the game. ESPN reported the diagnosis later that night, and his status is now listed as out for the season. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) The injury came in a 112-96 Timberwolves win at Target Center that pushed Minnesota to a 3-1 lead over the Nuggets in the first-round series. Ayo Dosunmu scored a career-high 43 points off the bench, the highest-scoring playoff game by a reserve in 50 years, according to ESPN’s game recap. (espn.com) (nba.com) Minnesota also lost Anthony Edwards in the first half after he hyperextended his left knee, leaving the Wolves without both starting guards during the same game. ESPN reported Sunday that Edwards is expected to miss multiple weeks with a bone bruise and hyperextension. (espn.com) (sports.yahoo.com) DiVincenzo had been a central part of Minnesota’s perimeter rotation before the injury. He averaged 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists in the regular season, and he opened the Denver series shooting 11-for-23 from 3-point range across the first four games. (espn.com) (basketball-reference.com) In Games 2 and 3, DiVincenzo scored 12, 16 and 15 points while adding 15 rebounds, 15 assists and seven steals across the first four games of the series. That two-way workload is not easy to replace in the middle of a playoff matchup. (espn.com) Coach Chris Finch called DiVincenzo the team’s “heart and soul” after Game 4, a measure of how much the Wolves value his defense, movement shooting and connective passing. Minnesota acquired him to stabilize lineups around Edwards, and he had become a starter in this series. (sports.yahoo.com) (espn.com) Achilles tears are among the most serious injuries for basketball players because they usually require surgery and months of rehab before a return to play. ESPN reported Sunday that DiVincenzo will undergo surgery to repair the rupture. (espn.com) Minnesota is now one win from eliminating Denver, but the picture around that 3-1 lead changed fast once DiVincenzo went down and Edwards followed him to the locker room. The Wolves kept control of the series Saturday night; they did not keep their backcourt intact. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2)
