Saturday night’s Game 4 showdown between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets will go down as one of the ugliest – and most costly – of the 2026 NBA playoffs. Minnesota lost starters Anthony Edwards and Dante DiVencenzo to injuries in the first half of the 112-96 victory over the Nuggets.
Edwards was helped to the locker room late in the first half after appearing to hyperextend his left knee. The Timberwolves ruled out Edwards for the rest of the game shortly after halftime.
DiVencenzo, meanwhile, reportedly suffered a torn Achilles just minutes into the game. While DiVencenzo faces a lengthy recovery, the Timberwolves got both good and bad news regarding their star player.
NBA insider Shams Charania revealed Edwards did not suffer any ligament damage in his knee, but he’s still expected to miss multiple weeks with the injury.
“Anthony Edwards has sustained a bone bruise and hyperextension in his left knee and is expected to miss multiple weeks, sources tell ESPN. Results showed Edwards avoided any ligament damage, but he will now miss time,” he said on social media.
Edwards led the Timberwolves in points (28.8) and steals (1.4) per game during the regular season and had his team in position to knock out the Nuggets in just five games before his injury.
The injuries to Edwards and DiVencenzo weren’t the only drama from the night, though, as a scuffle broke out at the end of the game after Jaden McDaniels put home a transition layup with 1.3 seconds left on the clock despite being up by double digits.
“I didn’t like what McDaniels did,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “The game was over. The game was conceded. In 2026, that stuff just doesn’t happen anymore. That’s something that happens in the ’80s, where teams would continue to score. But that’s who he is.”