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 was quickly ruled out for the game and later diagnosed with a torn right Achilles tendon, per ESPN. DiVincenzo will miss the remainder of the Wolves’ postseason run and will likely be out for most or all of the 2026-27 season.
The injury came after DiVincenzo missed a 3-pointer in the opening minutes of an eventual Minnesota win. 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.
«He’s the heart and soul of so many things that we do,» Wolves coach Chris Finch said of DiVincenzo. «You could see the look in his eye when it happened, and you knew. We’ll love him and be there for him.»
The typical recovery for an Achilles tear is roughly a year. Tatum’s 10-month recovery gives DiVincenzo hope of returning next season, but given the history of Achilles tears, players tend to approach recovery extremely cautiously.
This is just the latest injury in a series that has been full of them. 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. He was ruled out for the night. The Wolves are leading the best-of-seven series, 3-1, heading into Monday’s Game 5.
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.
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.
