The highlight reels will zero in on Anthony Edwards’ step-back 3-pointer that sealed the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 94-88 victory over the LA Clippers on Thursday at Intuit Dome.

Instead of focusing on Edwards’ 31 points and five assists, Wolves coach Chris Finch zeroed in on guard Donte DiVincenzo for both his box-score contributions (18 points, four assists) and intangibles (defense, leadership).

“He was awesome. He was really our leading player today on both sides of the ball,” Finch said. “He made big shots. He played with force, guarded and got steals. He did everything. He’s got that grittiness to him. Games like this suit him well.”

Games like this suit Edwards well, too. In a high-stakes game, Edwards explained why he much prefers taking contested shots over setting up a teammate: “I have a better chance of winning if I shoot it.”

The Wolves (37-23) also have a better chance at winning because of DiVincenzo’s consistent two-way play and hustle.

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“It’s contagious, man,” Edwards said of DiVincenzo. He plays hard, no matter what. Even if his shot’s not falling, he’s going to play hard no matter what. We need that from Donte, and he’s been giving that us all year.”

DiVincenzo spoke to EssentiallySports about various topics, including his expanded role, playing through a broken nose, chemistry with Edwards and more.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one interview has been edited and condensed.

How do you evaluate your play so far this season?

DiVincenzo: “It’s my mentality of ‘Whatever the team needs on any given night.’ Whether it’s more playmaking, getting the ball moving side-to-side or screening more, sometimes I’m feeling it so I’m getting shots up and teammates are finding me. So honestly, it depends on what the game is telling us. I’m just trying to make sure that we’re all in a good position.”

What were the adjustments with having some point-guard duties earlier in the season?

DiVincenzo: “It’s been great. I think this year, I’ve been growing in my career. I’m doing it on a team right now that is very loaded and very deep. I’m having the responsibility of getting some of our main guys easy looks. I’m also being aggressive to look for myself and for a lot of the young guys to get them going. It’s been fun. It’s been a learning process. The season has evolved. We’re nowhere where we want to be. But I think we’re getting going in that right direction.”

Through all of your stops, you’ve provided energy and versatility. What has been the key with maintaining that through the course of the season?

DiVincenzo: “Taking care of your body. This year has been the heaviest that I’ve been. I have my lowest body fat and my highest weight. I’ve been living in the weight room and living my routine with loading my tendons and doing all of the little things that I’ve done in the past. But I’m doing it at a higher level this year. The best ability is availability. So if I can be available every single night and do what I do, that gives us a good chance to win.”

What are examples of the little things?

DiVincenzo: “Getting on the floor, swinging the extra pass and a lot of stuff that doesn’t show up in the box score. If we’re a little stagnant, just to get downhill and spray the ball out and get the ball moving is great. Just to get us into the next action with our offense and get guys off the ball so you can get them on the ball. It’s those little things that I pride myself on. I call them ‘the winning metrics’ when trying to win a game. It might not show up in the box score. But the team, the coaches and the front office, they all appreciate it and know it. So that’s what I strive to do.”

With adding strength and reducing body weight, I presume a lot of it was weight-room work and dieting. But what did that stuff entail?

DiVincenzo: “Honestly, it was a very good start this year with being on the same team for another consecutive year. I had gotten traded or signed in free agency. I have been on four teams in four years. Finishing last year with not how we wanted, I came back a little bit hungrier. I stayed back in Minnesota in the summertime. I worked out with Scott [Thom, Wolves’ athletic performance coach] and James White [Wolves’ player development coach]. We were locked in. In the last couple of years, I got off to slower starts. This year, I got off to a quicker start. My body felt really good. I was already in game shape on day one versus trying to get there a couple of weeks into the season.”

What did they have you do?

DiVincenzo: “A lot of conditioning. That was the emphasis for me this year – to be in the best shape that I possibly can. I wasn’t in bad shape. But I wanted to take it to a new level. I wanted to be able to play 30-35 minutes, and be able to respond on back-to-backs and still feel good. It’s those little days that you stack in June, July and August. Then when September comes, you’re playing a lot of pickup basketball and knocking all the rust off. So by the time the regular starts, you’re ready to go.”

You played through a broken nose earlier this season. What was that like you both in the short-term and long-term?

DiVincenzo: “When we were in Charlotte, they were like, ‘We can get it fixed and you can get surgery.’ I was like, ‘Break that sh— back in place and put me back out there.’ They were like, ‘We don’t want to do that now. We’ll do it after the game.’ So I ran back out there and said, ‘Stop the blood.’ When I ran back out there, my nose was crooked. I didn’t see it yet. So after the game, teammates, my wife and everyone were sending me videos of my nose looking really crooked. After the game, they put it back in place. It was fine. It was a little sore. I needed a mask. But that’s how I am. I want to play at all times.”

What was your family’s and teammates’ reaction?

DiVincenzo: “I’ll never forget. I remember that I came back on the court and Micah [Nori, Wolves’ lead assistant coach] and Joe Ingles were like, ‘Damn!’ I had not seen it yet. I was like, ‘Is it bad, is it bad?’ They said, ‘Nah, you look great.’ But it was just funny. It was a fun time.”

There were some memes that said your nose looked like a question mark.

DiVincenzo: “Yeah! It was split, and then I broke it. I had it broken. But I had to cut it, too. It was nasty.”

What was the pain tolerance/adrenaline with managing that?

DiVincenzo: “I didn’t feel it going back into the game. Playing for the rest of the game, I felt fine. After the game, that’s when it really hit me. When they broke it back in place, it felt better since the pressure went down. But after that, the next morning and the next two days were brutal. Then we played in Brooklyn two days later. But that’s all part of the season. I had never dealt with that before. So I was just messing with them. I would rather play with a broken nose and no mask than play with a mask. That only lasted four or five games. I couldn’t do it anymore.”

Why not?

DiVincenzo: “It was the visibility and having something around my eyes. I never had that before, so I didn’t like that adjustment.”

How have you seen the chemistry with you and ANT evolve?

DiVincenzo: “You said it. It has evolved. Every night, it’s different. Some nights, he’s got it going. I read it and then try to give him as many easy ones as possible. Defensively, I think we’re pushing each other. On-ball defense this year has been one of the best of my career. It starts with him and Jaden McDaniels being able to play on-ball so aggressively. We’re learning little tricks of the trade.”

You’ve said you often talk shop with ANT. What has the collaboration been like?

DiVincenzo: “We’re always talking Xs and Os, how to manipulate matchups and how to get him as easy shots as possible. That way, I can get him easy ones and the floor opens up. Usually, it comes back to me. In both an unselfish and selfish way, I look at it as I’m helping him get easy ones now, which will ultimately result in me getting open looks. It’s a two-way street. It’s a two-way relationship. We’re trying to figure that out every single night. Both of us just want to win. He’s one of the best players in the NBA, so he’s a good guy to be a duo with.”

You’ve often talked throughout the season about the group needing to be more consistent with its effort. How do you evaluate where things are now and what needs to happen to stay in the mix during the playoffs?

DiVincenzo: “It’s all about wins and little things. It’s about scrapping out as many wins as possible. You see how close the West is. You can’t be worried about whether this night is an ugly offensive game. You just got to figure it out. It’s a spring through the rest of the regular season with trying to jockey for seeding and everything. No matter how you get the win, that’s the most important thing. The message is while we build our habits in practices, shootarounds and film sessions, once we get into the games, it’s about getting as many wins as possible.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for EssentiallySports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.