The Minnesota Timberwolves made a hefty five-year, $112 million commitment to Ayo Dosunmu in the offseason, and he's proving their gamble right.

Dosunmu's annual salary is $22.4 million, which is slightly expensive for a bench player. That was his expected role behind superstar Anthony Edwards, but a two-month recovery timeline from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee changed the course.

Coach Chris Finch inserted the 6-foot-4 guard into the starting lineup alongside LaMelo Ball. He's adjusted quickly as a starter and Ball's second option.

Almost every Timberwolf has stepped up in Edwards' absence, but the guards are leading the show during their four-game winning streak.

The 26-year-old has started seven games and is averaging ridiculous levels of efficiency. He's scoring 21.6 points per game on 53.3/47.2/95.7 splits.

Shooting 50/40/90 is a rare feat. Only legends like Kevin Durant, Steve Nash and Stephen Curry have averaged those numbers over an entire season.

Dosunmu likely won't reach those heights, but what he's doing right now is exactly what Minnesota needs. The sixth-year guard is averaging 23 points in November, including back-to-back 26-point outings against the New Orleans Pelicans last Friday and the Utah Jazz last Sunday.

In those games, he's been Mr. Fourth Quarter. He scored 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting against New Orleans and 12 on 4-for-7 against Utah.

Minnesota would likely be struggling in clutch time without his emergence. Dosunmu is becoming a vital piece of the team's success, and it's not a fluke.

The Timberwolves had no choice but to throw a bag Dosunmu's way. They traded Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller (33rd pick in 2023) and four second-round picks to pry him away from the Chicago Bulls.

Throwing that much draft capital at a player on an expiring contract suggests the front office believed he could elevate the team in the playoffs.

Dosunmu proved them right.

He had the two best playoff games of his career in the first round against the Denver Nuggets. Dosunmu finished Game 3 with 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting, three rebounds and nine assists.

His Game 4 performance eclipsed the previous and could be the moment Minnesota knew it would pay him. He scored a career-high 43 points on 13-for-17 shooting and 100% from three and the free-throw line.

Dosunmu continuously picked at Nuggets center Nikola Jokić. Every time he attacked Jokić downhill, it was a quality shot.

Both performances led to near-20-point wins and gave the Timberwolves the push they needed to close the series in five.