Minnesota could’ve used Donte DiVincenzo on Monday in Memphis. The Timberwolves led by nine in the fourth quarter in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee, and were up 95-90 after Anthony Edwards canned a jumper with 4:30 to play. But Memphis stormed back to seize control via an 11-0 run over the ensuing 2:10 to go up six. Still, the Timberwolves had a chance to tie the game on the final possession, in which they inbounded down two with five seconds to play. The pass went to Edwards in the backcourt, who dribbled into a double team and air-balled his 3-point attempt at the horn as Julius Randle stood open by the bucket. Minnesota fell 108-106. It was the second time in the last nine days that the Wolves fell by two points to Memphis (28-15). In each instance, the Wolves largely controlled the bout, only to be overcome in the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies simply out-execute Minnesota when it matters most. Edwards went 1 for 4 in the closing quarter with a number of questionable shot attempts. Jaren Jackson Jr. — who led Memphis with 24 points and 11 rebounds despite battling first-half foul trouble — scored 15 points in the fourth quarter. Late-game situations were where DiVincenzo was beginning to alleviate the pressure on the Edwards, the 23-year-old, All-Star guard. DiVincenzo is both a sound decision-maker, who can be trusted to make the proper play when the ball is in his hands, and also a floor spacer with his depth of range as a shooter. But Minnesota announced prior to Monday’s game that DiVincenzo will be out “indefinitely” with a Grade 3 sprain in his left great toe. The team is seeking further clarity on the best way to treat the injury, but the reality is the sharpshooter will be out for the foreseeable future. And that’s a problem. Because, DiVincenzo is oftentimes Minnesota’s second-best player and someone who could be relied upon to initiate and progress the offense. Without him, even more weight falls on the shoulders of Edwards. The guard was productive again Monday, finishing with a game-high 32 points on the strength of 18 free-throw attempts. Naz Reid tacked on 29 points and eight rebounds. But both will, at times, fail to make the proper play — as shown again in crunch time in Memphis. Minnesota does have a deep roster that provides other places to turn. Rookie guard Rob Dillingham is getting more opportunities in DiVincenzo’s absence, and taking advantage of them. He finished with 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting in just 13 minutes on Monday, and was 3 for 3 from the field to open the final frame. But it’s clear Timberwolves coach Chris Finch doesn’t yet trust the 20-year-old guard to play in the pivotal situations. Fellow rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. could also see more run, but he’s currently out with a foot injury of his own, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is struggling at the moment. Minnesota (22-21) — who was remarkably healthy for the first half of the season — is now in a predicament. The Wolves likely cannot reach championship contention without DiVincenzo. What they will hope to do now is hold water and maintain, or improve upon their position in the standings to set up a potential playoff run to which DiVincenzo can return. But achieving that goal will require winning games like Monday’s — one Minnesota led by 16. One in which it had 18 offensive rebounds. As has often been the case this season, much of the good work was undone by poor decision-making. Minnesota committed 16 turnovers that led to 22 Grizzlies points. Related Articles Minnesota Timberwolves | Timberwolves’ Rob Dillingham wants to play, and believes he can help Minnesota Timberwolves | Timberwolves fall apart in second half of loss to Cleveland Minnesota Timberwolves | Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves take it to Knicks in fourth quarter for key win in New York Minnesota Timberwolves | Donte DiVincenzo imprint on Timberwolves growing with his production Minnesota Timberwolves | Timberwolves ugly first quarter leads to loss to Golden State