Minnesota makes sure Denver faces the same pressure by forcing a Game 7 with a strong win in Minnesota.
Timberwolves Win Game 6, Game 7 Next
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 27 points, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves end their losing streak with a big 115-70 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. This victory means there will be a Game 7 in their exciting playoff series.
Jaden McDaniels scored 21 points and played great defense. Mike Conley, back from injury, added 13 points. Big men Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid worked hard, grabbing a total of 38 rebounds. They managed to hold NBA MVP Nikola Jokic to a quieter game with just 22 points.
The crucial game for a place in the Western Conference finals is happening in Denver on Sunday night.
Jamal Murray had a tough game, scoring only 10 points and making just 4 of his 18 shots. The Nuggets’ bench players were outscored 36-9, with most of their points coming in the last five minutes. The Timberwolves’ bench went on a 24-0 run in the fourth quarter, building a massive 49-point lead. This followed a 20-0 run by their starters in the first quarter.
Aaron Gordon scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Nuggets. The team struggled with their three-point shots, making only 7 out of 36 attempts. They were behind by at least 17 points for the last 31 minutes of the game.
For the Wolves, scoring from McDaniels is usually extra, but he needs to do more than he did in the first five games, where he only scored 35 points total. This time, he was very active, making 3 out of 5 three-pointers and throwing down some exciting dunks to energize the crowd.
For the Wolves, getting offense from McDaniels is usually a bonus, but he can’t be as quiet as he was in the first five games, scoring only 35 points total. This time, he was active on the court, making 3 out of 5 shots from deep. Edwards, who scored 44 points in a Game 4 loss the last time he played at Target Center, looked like a superstar determined not to lose the series. He scored nine points during a 20-0 run and made 19 points in the first half, needing only nine shots to do it. His well-timed dunks excited the crowd.
In the third quarter, Edwards made a steal and quickly turned it into a fast break. He used two crossover dribbles to get past Michael Porter Jr. and then dunked. A few minutes later, he drove past Porter again, drawing a foul and landing hard on his back. When he came back on the court without missing any time, the crowd started chanting “MVP!”
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As the fourth-quarter timeout began and the bench players came on, Edwards held up seven fingers to the cheering crowd, excited for what was coming next.
During Game 5 in Denver, the Wolves struggled on offense when Conley couldn’t play due to a sore calf muscle. With him back on the court, the experienced point guard made sure their plays ran smoothly and neatly.
The Wolves only let the Nuggets score 14 points in the first quarter. That’s one of the lowest scores in the playoffs, just behind Miami who only allowed 12 points in one of their games against Boston.
Murray struggled to get anything done against McDaniels and the NBA’s top defense. They had been shaky in the last few games but suddenly tightened up.
Murray didn’t have a good game in Game 2, only making 3 out of 18 shots. He tried different types of shots like leaners, fadeaways, and 3-pointers, but nothing seemed to work. He even missed a close-range shot so badly that it didn’t even touch the rim. Then, on defense, he got matched up against Naz Reid, who was stronger than him, and Reid scored easily, putting the Wolves ahead by a big margin, 43-24.
McDaniels scored on a tip-in after Reid missed a 3-pointer right before halftime. This changed the score to 59-40, which was very different from Murray’s incredible shot from 55 feet away at the end of the second quarter in Game 3. That shot capped off an 8-0 run in just 20 seconds, which was crucial for that game.
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