Donte DiVincenzo suffers torn Achilles in major playoff blow to Timberwolves

DiVincenzo went down less than two minutes into Game 4 on Saturday night

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 to ESPN.

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.

Donte Divincenzo just suffered a non contact injury. This looks horrible. Oh my goodness. pic.twitter.com/IN9FoYrWED

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 26, 2026

The typical recovery for an Achilles tear is roughly a year, which would immediately rule DiVincenzo out for the remainder of this postseason and potentially deep into next 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.

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.