Donte DiVincenzo plays a winning brand of basketball, and Minnesota Timberwolves fans and teammates alike have become accustomed to it. Of course, the shooting guard is well-renowned for his 3-point marksmanship. The Villanova product has made 11 3-pointers in a single game before; he previously made a league-leading 240 catch-and-shoot long bombs, and his 244 made 3-pointers this year were the second most in a single season in Timberwolves history.
DiVincenzo is much more than just a spot-up threat, though. One area in which he is really thriving is in making winning plays. DiVincenzo does all of the little things and is a master of the intangibles, and that played a big part in the Timberwolves securing a Game 2 win over the Denver Nuggets
Donte DiVincenzo makes winning plays
The Timberwolves are underdogs in their first-round series against the Nuggets, but they managed to steal a game from Denver before packing up for a two-game home stint. In Game 2, it was easy to overlook the impact that DiVincenzo had on the 119-114 win.
Anthony Edwards did his thing and ended up with 30 points, and the superstar was quick to give credit to Rudy Gobert, who held Nikola Jokic to a rare underwhelming game. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year showed just why it was a mistake not to include him as a finalist for that award yet again.
Julius Randle also put up impressive numbers with 24 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, and Bones Hyland knocked down three deep balls.
With 16 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, DiVincenzo stuffed the stat sheet in his own right, but his influence on the game was somewhat overlooked. For starters, DiVincenzo is a player who always gives 110% percent. He will fight for loose balls and give his best on the defensive end. The gritty player was able to secure extra possessions and prevent Denver's backcourt players from getting much going in the second-half.
For example, with just over four minutes left in Game 2, with the matchup at a potential turning point, DiVincenzo was able to secure a loose ball/available rebound that a number of Nuggets had a shot at. His hustle resulted in an easy transition bucket and helped the Timberwolves secure the momentum that they never looked back from. He also had the final rebound of the game on Denver's last shot attempt, despite bigs such as Jokic and Gobert taking up space in the paint. DiVincenzo took off with the basketball, gave it up to Randle, and got a pass right back for the dagger that ended the game.
Furthermore, opposing defenses can't just look at DiVincenzo as a mere shooter. Point guard depth has long been viewed from the outside perspective as a need for Minnesota, but DiVincenzo has been more than serviceable as a playmaker for his team. In Game 2, DiVincenzo regularly made the unselfish pass to get his teammates open looks. He finished with six assists, which would be a solid mark for a traditional point guard.
Anyone who has watched the Timberwolves this season should have expected this type of impact from DiVincenzo.
The Timberwolves are embracing an everybody eats mentality in their pursuit of a first-round upset, and DiVincenzo's style of play looks to be contagious.
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