DiVincenzo was huge in the 4th quarter for Minnesota.
The Minnesota Timberwolves clawed their way out of a 19-point hole Monday night in Denver and walked out with a 119-114 win, tying the first-round series 1-1.
Donte DiVincenzo was at the center of it, pouring in 16 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing six assists on the road.
Seven of those points came in the final minutes, including a go-ahead three and a dunk that sealed the deal.
After the game, he pointed to something that had nothing to do with the box score, which was how the team talks to each other right now.
What DiVincenzo Said
"I think we're the most vocal in our huddles right now, which is the best time of the year to be most vocal. Everybody's on the same page, everybody has confidence in one another. We just know it's a long game, but it's also a long series."
That sort of talk does not just fill space.
Minnesota trailed by 19 before halftime and could have let the road crowd bury them, but instead they traded haymakers with the three seed, watching DiVincenzo knock in a back-breaking triple with just over a minute left before stuffing the rim on the next trip down, and his seven clutch points down the stretch closed the door for good.
Why He Matters in This Series
DiVincenzo averaged 12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists over 78 regular season games while hitting 37.9 percent from deep, numbers that are steady rather than loud.
But his Game 2 line tells the better story, because when things got tight, he took over, drawing the Jamal Murray assignment in big stretches, hitting a huge shot in rhythm, and finishing the game with the sort of energy both ends of the floor needed.
Anthony Edwards still posted 30 and 10, and Julius Randle chipped in 24 and 9, but DiVincenzo was the guy who actually flipped the fourth quarter.
His defensive pestering matters just as much, because Minnesota held Murray and Jokic to a combined four points in the fourth on 2-of-12 shooting, a wild number for two stars that size.
That does not happen by accident, and DiVincenzo's willingness to switch, chase, and talk through every action is a big reason why.
The Timberwolves finished the year 49-33 as the six seed and came in as underdogs against a Denver group that went 54-28, but now Minnesota has home-court advantage stolen for Game 3 at Target Center.
The Bigger Picture
Playoff basketball rewards teams that stay connected, and while talent wins games, communication is what wins series.
DiVincenzo put a spotlight on Minnesota's playoff prep, and the comeback proved it holds up under heat.
Even Nuggets veteran Christian Braun has acknowledged the edge this rivalry carries, and Denver now heads back to Minneapolis with real reason for concern.
Game 3 tips Thursday night and if DiVincenzo keeps hooping like he did Monday while the huddles stay loud, the Timberwolves are going to be awfully tough to close out.