Playoff run-stunting injuries nothing new to Minnesota sports

The complexion of Minnesota’s playoff run changed on Saturday when, in the first half of Game 4, the Timberwolves lost both Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo to injuries.

DiVincenzo’s season ended with a ruptured Achilles, while Edwards’ return is still a week-plus away, and possibly more, as he recovers from a knee hyperextension and a bone bruise.

Heading into Game 4, the Timberwolves had the look of a dangerous team peaking at just the right time.

Now, even should they advance, their championship hopes are on life support.

They aren’t alone. The Lakers are in the same boat with Luka Doncic. Golden State’s dreams went up in smoke when Steph Curry pulled his hamstring in Game 1 of last year’s conference semifinals.

Unfortunately, these things happen. Late-season injuries turn title opportunities on their heads. They have throughout Minnesota sports history. Here are some of the more prominent campaign-altering catastrophes (note: The lists only include injuries that took place during the postseason or in the final weeks of the regular season):

Collier’s ankle injury

Alyssa Thomas’ controversial steal at the end of Game 3 of last year’s WNBA semifinals ended not only that game, but Minnesota’s title hopes. Because the play featured a collision with Minnesota star forward Napheesa Collier, who went down to the floor with an injury that knocked her out of Game 4, in which the Lynx were eliminated.

Later reporting revealed Collier tore ligaments in her ankle, and wouldn’t have been able to return even had the Lynx extended their playoff run.

Erikkson Ek’s broken leg

The Wild were a 103-point team during the 2022-23 campaign, which earned them a first-round series against the Stars. But with just a few games remaining in the regular season, Joel Erikkson Ek went down with a leg injury after blocking a shot.

The center missed the remainder of the regular season and the first two games of the playoff series. He tried to give it a go in Game 3, but lasted only 19 seconds before exiting the game and series prior to having surgery on his broken leg.

Minnesota lost the series in six games.

McDaniels’ broken hand

Minnesota needed to beat New Orleans in the final game of the regular season to nab the No. 8 seed in the play-in tournament. McDaniels got in foul trouble early, which forced a trip to the bench. In a fit of frustration, McDaniels walked into the tunnel and punched what he thought was merely a sheet of cloth. But there was a concrete wall behind it.

The punch broke McDaniels’ hand, ending his playoff run.

The Wolves went on to enter the playoffs as the No. 8 seed and fell to Denver in five games in Round 1, so maybe Minnesota didn’t have legitimate title hopes in its first season with Rudy Gobert. But the Nuggets later admitted their series with the Wolves was the most challenging amid its title run, which featured three series against teams seeded No. 7 or worse.