Jaden Mcdaniels: Timberwolves Wear DiVincenzo Jerseys Before Game 6
jaden mcdaniels was not the focus Thursday night. Donte DiVincenzo was, as the Minnesota Timberwolves arrived at the arena before Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets wearing his jerseys in support of the guard after his Achilles injury in Game 4.
The tribute came with Minnesota leading the Western Conference first-round series 3-2. It also came while the Timberwolves were missing Anthony Edwards because of injury, leaving the roster to carry both the basketball task and the message for DiVincenzo.
Mike Conley’s jersey idea
Mike Conley had the idea for Minnesota to wear the jerseys, and the group followed through with a uniform display that stretched across the roster. The shirts were not one style either; they ranged from throwbacks to home to statement editions.
That choice tracked with how central DiVincenzo had been before the injury. He started all 82 games in the regular season and averaged 12.2 points, then added 14.3 points, 5.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds across the three full postseason games before he went down early in Game 4.
DiVincenzo’s Game 4 injury
Saturday’s Game 4 ended DiVincenzo’s season when he tore his Achilles. Chris Finch did not hide how hard the injury hit the team afterward, saying, "I feel completely devastated for Donte." He also said, "He was playing so well," and added, "He's had such a great season."
Finch expanded on DiVincenzo’s place in the group with, "He's the heart [and] soul of so many things that we do." After seeing the injury happen, he said, "You can just see the look in his eye when it happened, and you kind of knew."
Timberwolves at Game 6
The jerseys turned the arrival into a clear team statement before a game that could push Minnesota one win closer in the series. Finch said before Game 6, "Hopefully, [DiVincenzo] gives us a little spiritual bump."
For the Timberwolves, the gesture tied the series to the player they lost. They entered Thursday night already up 3-2, and the sight of every player in DiVincenzo jerseys made the loss part of the night’s story rather than something parked in the background.
What happened next on the floor would decide whether the tribute stayed a pregame moment or became part of a deeper playoff run. Either way, Minnesota had already made its position plain: "We love him, and we'll be there for him."
