In a magnificent Game 7 in Minnesota on Sunday night, the Timberwolves overcame a 20-point second-half deficit to defeat the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets 98-90.
With just four points, no rebounds, and three assists at the half and 16 points, eight boards, and seven assists in the end, Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves to a 15-point halftime deficit, the biggest comeback in an NBA playoff Game 7 in history.
His 6-of-24 shooting, which included a 2-for-10 three-point effort, was insignificant compared to his influence. Edwards dribbled the ball upcourt and took a moment to gesture to the Denver home crowd as the seconds passed.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels both scored 23 points to help the Wolves advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time in twenty years. Starting on Wednesday night, they will play the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center.
The Nuggets are now the fifth reigning champion team to miss the conference finals in a row. The Nuggets jumped out to a 53-38 lead at the half thanks to 24 points from Jamal Murray in the first half. With 10:50 remaining in the third quarter, Murray made a three-pointer to increase Denver’s advantage to 58-38.
In order to get back into the game, the Wolves turned to their defense, which is the most stingy in the NBA. They finished the quarter on a 28-9 run, pulling ahead 67-66 going into the fourth.
The fourth quarter saw Rudy Gobert give the Wolves their first lead since the first quarter. After Towns committed his fifth foul, NBA Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid was outstanding on both ends of the court to hold Minnesota ahead.
With three minutes remaining in a pivotal sequence that began with Minnesota leading 85-82, Reid scored two free throws, dunks, and then set up Edwards for a game-winning three-pointer to put the Wolves up 92-82.
Murray led Denver with 35 points after going 4 for 18 from the field in the Nuggets’ 115-70 loss in Game 6, which was the biggest postseason loss by a reigning champion ever. Jokic contributed seven assists, 19 rebounds, and 34 points.
Exactly twenty years had passed since the Timberwolves defeated Sacramento in the second round, and this was their first Game 7 since then. They only made it to the conference finals once before. The Nuggets were attempting to make their third trip to the conference finals in the previous six seasons, while they were participating in their fifth Game 7.
After the performances in Games 2, 3, and 6, Nuggets coach Michael Malone stated prior to tipoff that he didn’t anticipate Game 7 would be a blowout. “Maybe not, because this is one of the craziest series I’ve ever been a part of,” he remarked, adding that it would ultimately come down to the wire.
The series was made even more bizarre by the Nuggets’ significant blown lead.
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