When Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo limped off, Minnesota needed someone to step forward. Ayo Dosunmu answered in the most emphatic way possible.
The Nigerian-American guard put up 43 points in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 112-96 on Sunday, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Dosunmu was untouchable. He shot 13-of-17 from the field, went a perfect 5-of-5 from three-point range and 12-of-12 from the free throw line, finishing with a true shooting percentage of 96.5 percent, one of the most efficient scoring performances you will see in a playoff game. He added 4 rebounds, a block, and a plus/minus of +10 in what was the defining performance of this series so far.
The Wolves needed every bit of it. Edwards, their star guard, managed just 5 points on 1-of-8 shooting before his night was cut short by an injury, the exact nature of which has not yet been confirmed. DiVincenzo’s situation is more severe. The guard suffered a torn Achilles tendon and is done for the season, robbing Minnesota of a key contributor at the worst possible time. Dosunmu inherited the weight of those absences and made it look effortless.
The Timberwolves dominated the second half, outscoring Denver 62-42 after the break to turn what had been a tightly contested game into a statement victory. Minnesota’s bench contributed 76 points in total. a figure that tells you something about the depth this team has found in the postseason. Bones Hyland chipped in 8 points and 7 assists off the bench, while Naz Reid added 17 and Jaden McDaniels 12.
For Denver, Nikola Jokic was his usual self — 24 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists — but received little meaningful support. Jamal Murray scored 30 but shot just 40 percent from the field, and the Nuggets’ bench managed only 16 points compared to Minnesota’s 76.
The Timberwolves now sit one win away from advancing to the second round. Game 5 tips off on Tuesday in Denver, where the Nuggets will be fighting to keep their season alive. Based on what Dosunmu showed on Sunday, Minnesota are not done yet.
