Minneapolis, Minnesota (AP) – With 27 points, Anthony Edwards helped the Minnesota Timberwolves overcome the Denver Nuggets 115-70 on Thursday night, forcing a decisive Game 7 in this exciting postseason game. The Timberwolves had been struggling since the middle of the season.
In addition to pitching in 21 points and playing lockdown defense, Mike Conley scored 13 points after making his injury comeback. NBA MVP Nikola Jokic scored a meager 22 points thanks to a strong 38 rebounding performance by big men Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid.
On Sunday night in Denver, there is a pivotal game that will determine a position in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Nuggets trailed by at least 17 points throughout the last thirty-one minutes of the game despite Aaron Gordon’s 12 points and eight rebounds. They were only 7 for 36 from 3-point range overall.
Although McDaniels’ offense is usually a benefit for the Wolves, he cannot continue to play as quietly as he did over the first five games, scoring 35 points in total. This time, he was all over the floor, making 3 of 5 shots from distance and adding some timed dunks to enthrall the audience.
When Edwards last played at Target Center, his 44-point effort was eventually wasted in a Game 4 defeat, but he had that tough player’s demeanor, unwilling to give up the series. It took him just nine field goals to score 19 points in the first half, including nine points during the 20-0 run.
Using two crossover dribbles in the third quarter, he used a steal to start a fast break and then blew by Michael Porter Jr. for a slam. He sped by Porter a few minutes later, drawing a foul, and landing hard on his back.
Edwards raised his seven fingers to the cheering supporters in anticipation of what was about to happen as a fourth-quarter break announced the beginning of empty-the-bench time.
Conley missed Game 5 in Denver due to right calf muscle pain, and the 17-year veteran point guard undoubtedly contributed to keeping the half-court setups tidy and structured upon his return. Despite this, the Wolves were often disorganized offensively.
The Wolves restricted the Nuggets to 14 points in the first quarter of their first-round defeat to Boston in Game 3, which is tied for the second-lowest total in the NBA this playoffs behind Miami (12 points).
After displaying some noticeable weaknesses over the previous three games, the NBA-leading defense finally came to life, and Murray had a terrible time accomplishing anything useful against them.
Murray tried everything from leaners to fadeaways to spot-up three-pointers after going 3 for 18 in the second game. In a terrible matchup with Naz Reid in the post on the next play, he even airballed a finger roll from the baseline, giving the Wolves an advantage of 43–24.
The final shot Murray made was a 55-footer, but McDaniels made a tip-in after a missed 3-pointer by Reid at the buzzer to make the score 59-40.
