Ayo Dosunmu Just Dropped 43 Points and the Timberwolves Are One Win Away, But the Injury Report Is Getting Ugly

Minnesota's bench came through in a massive way Saturday night, but the cost is mounting fast. Ayo Dosunmu came off the bench and absolutely torched Denver for a career-high 43 points on a ridiculous 13-for-17 shooting in the Timberwolves' 112-96 win over the Nuggets in Game 4 of their Western Conference quarterfinals. The victory pushed Minnesota to a 3-1 series lead and put them one win away from the next round. Problem is, they lost two starters in the process.

The Injury Blow Nobody Wanted to See

Anthony Edwards, a four-time All-Star and Minnesota's top scorer, left in the second quarter with a left knee injury and didn't return. That's rough on its own. But then Donte DiVincenzo went down earlier in the first half on a non-contact play to his right leg. Early reports are pointing to a possible ruptured Achilles tendon. That's the kind of injury that changes everything moving forward. The Timberwolves had to dig deep without their two key guys, and somehow they still got the win.

Minnesota's Depth Stepped Up Big

With Edwards sidelined, Minnesota leaned hard on their bench. Naz Reid added 17 points off the pine. Julius Randle chipped in 15 points and nine rebounds, while Rudy Gobert grabbed a game-high 15 boards along with four points. Denver's Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 30 points on 10-for-25 shooting, and Nikola Jokic finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. But Jokic couldn't get it going from deep, missing all three of his 3-point tries and shooting just 8-for-22 overall.

The Timberwolves are sitting pretty with one more win needed to advance. But heading into Game 5, Minnesota's medical staff is going to have some serious decisions to make about the health of their stars.

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