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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 25: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates his three-point basket against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter of Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on April 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are playing a crucial Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets without NBA superstar Anthony Edwards and his backcourt partner Donte DiVincenzo, both of whom suffered injuries in the team’s latest win in the series.
With the Timberwolves up 3-1 in the dramatic series against the Nuggets, a win in Game 5 would advance them into the second round of the playoffs. However, now playing without Edwards and DiVincenzo, it won’t come easy against the 2023 champions.
Before Game 5, Minnesota announced its starting lineup and final injury report for what could be the series-clinching contest.
GettyAyo Dosunmu #13 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates the win against the Denver Nuggets with teammates Mike Conley #10 (L) and Naz Reid #11 after Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on April 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In the lead-up to the crucial game, the Timberwolves confirmed their starting lineup with a social media post, a group that doesn’t feature Edwards or DiVincenzo.
Mike Conley, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert all got the nod as starters from head coach Chris Finch and his staff.
Without their typical starting backcourt, Minnesota elevated Dosunmu and Conley into new roles. Both have experience as starters this season, but they haven’t been in the group since the start of the playoffs.
Dosunmu is coming off a career-high 43 points in Game 4, and like in that matchup, he’ll take on an increased scoring role for Game 5 while Edwards remains out.
Additionally, the likes of McDaniels, Randle, Naz Reid, and a few of Minnesota’s other rotational players will have more scoring and playmaking responsibility as they play the rest of the series against Denver without their typical starting backcourt.
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 25: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts to an apparent injury in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets of Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Target Center on April 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Both Edwards and DiVincenzo are the two players who make up the Timberwolves’ injury report for Game 5 on Monday night.
As for DiVincenzo, he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury just over a minute into Game 4. He will miss the rest of the season, and while he did get surgery done by the same doctor who repaired Jayson Tatum‘s torn Achilles, he remains without a return timeline.
Regarding Edwards, he suffered a bone bruise and left knee hyperextension after a scary fall in the second quarter of Game 4. He did not return and is expected to miss at least two weeks with the injury, according to Shams Charania.
Additionally, the Timberwolves offered an official injury update on their franchise star, stating that he is week-to-week for the time being.
“An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) conducted by Dr. Craig Bennett at Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine on Edwards revealed a left knee hyperextension injury and bone bruise. Edwards will be considered week-to-week, and further updates of his progress will be provided when available,” the team wrote in a statement.
Though Edwards will miss the rest of the series against the Nuggets at the least, Finch hasn’t ruled out an injury return later in the playoffs, if he is able to make a quick injury recovery.
“Everything I’m told, backed by what Chris Finch said to @PAOnTheMic this morning, is that Anthony Edwards fully intends to return to the playoffs at some point, if the Wolves can stay in the fight,” Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic wrote on X. “If they advance, my gut says their next opponent will see him at some point.”
Everything I’m told, backed by what Chris Finch said to @PAOnTheMic this morning, is that Anthony Edwards fully intends to return to the playoffs at some point, if the Wolves can stay in the fight. If they advance, my gut says their next opponent will see him at some point.
Edwards did not suffer any ligament damage, and his injury status is not a worst case scenario for the Timberwolves. Still, he remains out with no official injury return timeline.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets Game 5 tips off on Monday, April 27, at 9:30 pm CST and will be live on NBC and Peacock.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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