Minnesota secured a commanding 112-96 victory over Denver in Game 4 of their Western Conference playoff matchup Saturday night, moving within one win of advancing to the next round. However, the triumph came with significant concerns as the Timberwolves lost two key players to injuries during the contest.
Ayo Dosunmu delivered an outstanding performance coming off the bench, establishing a new personal best with 43 points while shooting an impressive 13-of-17 from the field. His exceptional play helped Minnesota take a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.
The victory was overshadowed by injuries to two Minnesota starters. Four-time All-Star Anthony Edwards, the team’s leading scorer, exited during the second quarter with a left knee injury and was unable to return. Guard Donte DiVincenzo also suffered a concerning right leg injury on a non-contact play in the first half, with initial assessments suggesting a possible Achilles tendon rupture.
Supporting the depleted lineup, Naz Reid contributed 17 points from the bench for Minnesota. Julius Randle recorded 15 points and nine rebounds, while Rudy Gobert dominated the boards with a game-high 15 rebounds along with four points.
Denver was paced by Jamal Murray’s 30 points on 10-of-25 shooting. Nikola Jokic posted 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, though he struggled with his shot, connecting on just 8-of-22 field goal attempts and missing all three 3-point tries.
In other playoff action, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander established a new playoff career-high with 42 points, shooting 15-of-18 from the floor with eight assists to lead Oklahoma City past Phoenix 121-109. The reigning NBA MVP’s performance gave the Thunder a commanding 3-0 series advantage and extended their first-round winning streak to 11 games. Playing without injured Jalen Williams, who strained his hamstring in Game 2, Oklahoma City relied heavily on their star guard.
Dillon Brooks paced Phoenix with 33 points while Jalen Green added 26. Devin Booker managed 16 points but shot just 6-of-16 from the field.
Karl Anthony-Towns achieved his first playoff triple-double with 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds as New York defeated Atlanta 114-98, evening their Eastern Conference series at 2-2. Towns recorded the seventh postseason triple-double in franchise history and his fifth career triple-double overall. The performance ensures Game 5 will take place Tuesday in New York rather than serving as an elimination contest for the Knicks. OG Anunoby led New York’s scoring with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
CJ McCollum topped Atlanta with 17 points but managed only three after halftime. Nickell Alexander-Walker contributed 15 points with five 3-pointers, though the Hawks struggled from long range, making just 10-of-41 attempts for 24.4%.
Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane each scored 25 points as Orlando held off a late Detroit surge for a 113-105 Game 3 victory in their first-round Eastern Conference series. Banchero added 12 rebounds and nine assists for the eighth-seeded Magic, who improved to 7-1 in their last eight home playoff contests. Bane connected on 7-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc.
Cade Cunningham scored 12 of his 27 points in the final quarter for Detroit. Tobias Harris contributed 23 points, Ausar Thompson had 17 and Duncan Robinson chipped in 10.
