Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo left Game 4 of their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets with a non-contact leg injury on Saturday. He has since been ruled out for the game with what the Timberwolves are calling a lower right leg injury.
Though we do not have an official diagnosis yet, on first glance, the major concern here is an Achilles injury. The injury came after DiVincenzo missed a 3-pointer. He lunged to pursue an offensive rebound afterward and fell to the ground. That explosive push forward commonly precedes Achilles injuries, and though no two are alike, it was at least somewhat reminiscent of the ones suffered by Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard last postseason.
Thankfully, DiVincenzo was able to put weight on the leg as he walked off of the court. However, he would not return to the game, adding yet another injury to this already banged-up series. Aaron Gordon missed Game 3 for the Nuggets due to calf tightness, and Peyton Watson hasn’t yet suited up for Denver because of a right hamstring strain. Anthony Edwards has been dealing with runner’s knee, and in Game 4, he left the game in the second quarter after Nuggets forward Cam Johnson fell into his leg.
DiVincenzo has grown into an absolutely critical role player for the Timberwolves. After coming off the bench for the Timberwolves last season, he started all 82 games this season. He averaged over 12 points per game while shooting almost eight 3-pointers per night, and his defense has helped them absorb the loss of Most Improved Player Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
If he has indeed suffered a serious injury, with Edwards also banged up, the Timberwolves will have to rely even more on bench guards Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland. They’ve performed admirably in this series, but things are only going to get harder as this series progresses.
