Anthony Edwards hyperextends left knee; Timberwolves lose both starting guards

Anthony Edwards is out at least a week with a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise, and the Timberwolves suddenly need to close out Denver without him. (nba.com) Edwards was hurt in Game 4 on April 25 when his left knee bent backward after he contested a layup late in the second quarter of Minnesota’s 112-96 win. Donte DiVincenzo went down 79 seconds into the same game with what Minnesota later confirmed was an Achilles injury. (nba.com) (espn.com) ESPN reported Edwards avoided ligament damage but is expected to miss multiple weeks, while DiVincenzo underwent surgery Sunday after tearing his Achilles. Minnesota listed Edwards as out at least one week. (espn.com) (nba.com) The timing is brutal because Minnesota had taken a 3-1 series lead over the Nuggets before Game 5. Denver answered Monday night with a 125-113 win behind Nikola Jokic’s 27 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists. (nba.com) (espn.com) Minnesota’s backcourt reshuffle has turned Ayo Dosunmu from trade-deadline depth into a playoff lifeline. He scored a career-high 43 points in Game 4, then added 18 in Game 5 after stepping into a much larger role. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) Game 4 showed how thin the margin is. Minnesota outscored Denver 62-42 in the second half after losing both guards, but that formula did not hold in Denver two nights later. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) The series now returns to Minneapolis for Game 6 on Thursday, April 30, with the Timberwolves leading 3-2. If Edwards cannot return this round, Minnesota will try to finish the series with Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and Dosunmu carrying the offense. (nba.com) (stats.nba.com)