Anthony Edwards Out Multiple Weeks After Knee Injury, Timberwolves Backcourt in Crisis Mode

The Minnesota Timberwolves just got hit with devastating news right in the middle of their playoff push. Star guard Anthony Edwards is sidelined for multiple weeks after suffering a left knee injury Saturday night during Minnesota's 112-96 win over Denver. The diagnosis: bone bruise and hyperextension, with no ligament damage detected. He starts rehab immediately, but he's gone when the series resumes Monday in Denver.

And it gets worse. In the same game, backcourt mate Donte DiVincenzo tore his right Achilles just 79 seconds in, leaving the arena in a wheelchair at halftime. He'll be out for several months. The Timberwolves' starting backcourt, just like that, is on the shelf. The No. 6 seed leads No. 3 Denver 3-1 in the series, but closing this out without Edwards and DiVincenzo? That's a completely different animal.

Dosunmu Stepped Up Big When Minnesota Needed Him Most

Here's where it gets wild. With both guards out, bench guard Ayo Dosunmu stepped in and absolutely went off for 43 points on a historic shooting night. He went 13-of-17 from the field, 5-for-5 from three, and 12-for-12 from the free throw line. According to OptaSTATS, Dosunmu became the first player in NBA history to score at least 40 points while shooting at least 75% from the field, hitting at least five 3-pointers without a miss, and converting at least 10 free throws without missing. That's not just good. That's unprecedented.

"This is for Ant. This is for Donte," Dosunmu told Timberwolves social media after the win. "I hope for a speedy recovery for them."

The 24-game bench guy acquired from Chicago at the deadline has been a revelation in this series. He's averaging 22.8 points per game and shooting 64% from the field through the playoffs. During the regular season, he averaged 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in Minnesota's uniform.

Can Minnesota Stay Afloat Without Its Stars?

Edwards was a monster all season, leading the Timberwolves with 28.8 points per game and hitting 39.9% from three over 61 games. DiVincenzo started every single game, chipping in 12.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per night. Losing both in the same game is the kind of injury disaster that ends playoff runs.

But forward Julius Randle isn't panicking. "We've got more than enough talent in here to win," he said postgame. "We lost two guys who are big pieces to our team but we talked about it all year, you need depth in the playoffs to win."

Minnesota has proven it can survive without its two starting guards, at least for one game. Now they have to do it again Monday night in Denver and potentially beyond. Game 4 is the real test.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.