Donte DiVincenzo provides an update on his injury.
The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered a major loss in the first round of the NBA playoffs when Donte DiVincenzo tore his Achilles in game four against the Denver Nuggets.
The injury occurred just minutes into the game after DiVincenzo was initially backpedaling, but then took a step forward to try and retrieve a loose ball off a rebound.
DiVincenzo immediately went down, grabbing at his Achilles and asking for help from the training staff.
He underwent surgery less than 24 hours after the injury. The surgery was performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. O'Malley performed Achilles surgery for Jayson Tatum, who returned in ten months.
DiVincenzo Update Given
According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, several within the Timberwolves organization believe Donte DiVincenzo could return at some point next season.
Jon writes, “DiVincenzo is trying to follow Tatum’s lead. He flew to New York for surgery less than 24 hours after suffering the injury, following a similar timeline that Tatum went through.”
If DiVincenzo returns in ten months, he would be back on the court in late February or early March.
Jayson Tatum's Path
Tatum suffered the injury on May 12, 2025 in the second round of the NBA playoffs. He returned on March 6, 2026.
After his ten month absence, he played just over 27 minutes, scoring 15 points to go along with 12 rebounds and seven assists.
In 16 regular season games, Tatum averaged 21.8 points, ten rebounds, and 5.3 assists. In the playoffs, Tatum played in six games, averaging 23.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists.
Unfortunately, he missed game seven against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. The Celtics, who had a 3-1 lead in the series, lost game seven, ending their season.
DiVincenzo's Importance
Though the Timberwolves were able to still make it past the Denver Nuggets in the first round without DiVincenzo, his presence was missed in the second round against the San Antonio Spurs.
Without DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves offense was stifled against an aggressive Spurs defense. San Antonio would constantly force the ball out of the hands of Anthony Edwards, and the rest of the team failed to generate sustained offense as a result.
Had DiVincenzo been in the lineup, his three-point shooting and secondary playmaking would have been a big help given the coverages the Spurs were throwing at the Timberwolves and Edwards.
He was the starting point guard for Minnesota all season, proving to be an integral piece to their lineup.
