Ayo Dosunmu scored 43 points on Saturday night, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 112-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets and handing Minnesota a 3-1 series lead.
Dosunmu was nearly flawless: he made 13 of 17 shot attempts, went 5-for-5 from three-point range and was perfect at the line, sinking all 12 of his free throws. His 43 points were the second-highest single-game scoring total in Timberwolves playoff history and powered a win that leaves the team one victory from clinching a spot in the Western Conference semifinals.
The performance carried extra narrative weight because Dosunmu arrived in Minnesota mid-season after a trade from Chicago. A former Illinois guard, he had posted 36 points in a college game when Illinois beat Missouri in 2020; Saturday night was a step up in magnitude on the sport’s biggest stage.
The game also highlighted sharp contrasts on Minnesota’s roster. Terrence Shannon Jr. played seven minutes and took only one shot — a three-pointer he made — while Dosunmu carried the offensive load. That split between a breakout star and a peripheral rotation player punctuated the night even as the scoreboard stayed firmly tilted toward the Timberwolves.
With the series shifting back to Denver, game five was set for Monday, April 27. Minnesota’s win on Saturday handed the Timberwolves a 3-1 edge and put them one win away from advancing; Denver will host the next chance to extend the series.
Dosunmu’s outing was decisive and unmistakable: a mid-season addition who delivered nearly perfect shooting and the sort of playoff scoring that rewrites a matchup. He leaves Minnesota headed to Denver on Monday with the simplest of tasks in front of him — one more victory to reach the Western Conference semifinals.
