Nuggets-Timberwolves takeaways: Ayo Dosunmu joins NBA playoff lore while Denver stares down elimination
Saturday night in Minnesota was a lot. Ayo Dosunmu’s star turn was unexpected, but there he was carrying the Timberwolves on his back without two of their best players. With Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo both ruled out , Dosunmu went off for a career-high 43 points off the bench.
The Wolves gutted it out for a 112-96 win and now the Denver Nuggets are staring down elimination. Let’s get to some takeaways. AYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?!?!?!?!
Based on my (quick) research, coming in to Saturday night there had been three players who scored 40+ points in the playoffs coming off the bench. Downtown Freddie Brown had 45 points for the Seattle Supersonics in the 1976 Western Conference finals. Nick Van Exel had 40 points for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2003 Western Conference semifinals.
Stephen Curry had 40 points off a four game absence against the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2016 Western Conference semifinals. It’s time to add Ayo Dosunmu to the list. That’s right, Ayo Dosunmu.
It was one thing in Game 3 when he was able to find a level of aggression, to mix in drives to punish the Denver Nuggets defense. It’s another thing in this game where, with the absence of both Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards (prayers up), they needed every single one of his buckets: 13 of 17 from the field, 5 of 5 from 3, 12 of 12 from the line, an incredible career-making moment. His command and control, pushing the pace for Minnesota, attacking the space of Nikola Jokić’s drop.
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