Former Illinois Stars Fuel Minnesota Timberwolves' Push to NBA Playoffs Second Round

Ever since Brad Underwood took over at Illinois, the city of Champaign has quickly turned into an NBA-talent hotbed. The Illini have produced a handful of next-level players over the past few seasons. And it’s not just quantity – it’s quality.

And by mere chance, two Illinois alums – Ayo Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon Jr. – have wound up showing it together in the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Unfortunately, though, with Dosunmu and Shannon being fairly similar players, the pair had been cannibalizing each other’s minutes.

But after star guard Anthony Edwards was injured, both Dosunmu and Shannon found themselves thrust into the limelight – especially Dosunmu. After getting traded to Minnesota from the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline in February, Dosunmu instantly hit his stride. But in the playoffs, he reached a new level.

Ayo Dosunmu goes off for Minnesota vs. Denver Nuggets

In Game 3, Dosunmu burst onto the scene, scoring 25 points on a sterling 10-for-15 effort from the field while dishing out nine assists to spark the Timberwolves to a win, giving them a 2-1 series lead.

That was just a taste of what was to come. In the next contest, Dosunmu exploded. He came off the bench and poured in 43 points, missing just four shots the entire game (13-for-17 from the field and a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line). His performance pushed Minnesota to another victory.

AYO DOSUNMU GIVES WOLVES 3-1 LEAD WITH NIGHT FOR THE AGES.

🔥 43 PTS, most he's scored in NBA
🔥 13-17 FGM, 5-5 3PM, 12-12 FTM
🔥 68 PTS in Games 3+4

Dosunmu is the first player since Steph Curry in 2016 to score 40+ off the bench in the NBA Playoffs presented by @Google! pic.twitter.com/myApdo2aRg
— NBA (@NBA) April 26, 2026

Game 5 saw Dosunmu earn a start, but his 18 points, three rebounds and four assists weren’t enough to lead the Timberwolves to another win, even with the help of Shannon, who went for 15 points in 14 minutes.

But a nagging calf injury forced Dosunmu to the sideline for another potential closeout contest in Game 6 – which meant one thing: Shannon needed to step up.

Terrence Shannon Jr. helps Minnesota close out Denver Nuggets

Despite playing just 21 total minutes in the series heading into Game 6, Shannon earned his first career playoff start on Thursday. He nearly doubled his previous burn with 38 minutes in Game 6 – and he wasted none of them. Shannon, an ultra-athletic wing, finished with 24 points and six rebounds as the Timberwolves punched their ticket to the second round (where they will face San Antonio Spurs).

He shot just 1-for-7 from deep but dominated at the rack, using his lightning-quick first step and vertical explosion to get to the basket and finish – often through contact. (He went 5-for-5 from the free-throw line as an added bonus.)

TERRENCE SHANNON JR. IN THE CLUTCH 🔥

TUNE IN TO ESPN NOW FOR GAME 6 FINISH BETWEEN NUGGETS-WOLVES 🍿 pic.twitter.com/2qV9yCE51k
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 1, 2026

Shannon watched crunch time – all 48 minutes, in fact – from the bench in the first few games of the series. But in the closeout win, Shannon was one of the Timberwolves’ go-to options down the stretch.

"We all put the work in so [a win] is what we expect."

Jaden McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr. join @Sedano after advancing past the Denver Nuggets 😤 pic.twitter.com/fJJBAqZMAf
— ESPN (@espn) May 1, 2026

“Just be ready when my name [is] called,” Shannon said of his mindset in a postgame interview with ESPN. “And got to perform.”

“He’s been ready since he got in the league,” said teammate Jaden McDaniels.

Add us as a preferred source on Google