The Minnesota Timberwolves completed a 20-point comeback against the reigning NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, to capture a 98-90 Game 7 victory and advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2004.
The Timberwolves rallied back from being down 20 points early in the third quarter to complete the largest comeback in a Game 7 in NBA history, led by star guard Anthony Edwards. Edwards finished the contest with 16 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. However, his presence was most felt in the Timberwolves' 21-3 run in the third quarter to bring the game within four points, where Edwards scored or assisted on five of the seven baskets. The Timberwolves continued their run into the fourth quarter, eventually taking the lead after outsourcing the Nuggets 37-14 on their miraculous run.
After struggling in the first half, scoring 19 points in each of the first two quarters, Minnesota flipped the switch in the second half, not only offensively but also on the defensive end of the ball. The Timberwolves outscored the Nuggets 28-14 in the third quarter, holding the defending NBA Champions to under 15 points, which is only the second individual quarter all season where the Nuggets have failed to reach 15 points.
Minnesota forwards Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves in scoring, finishing the game with 23 points, and Towns grabbed 12 rebounds to record the team’s only double-double. McDaniels was a crucial part of Minnesota’s run when he knocked down two back-to-back three-pointers from the same corner in the third quarter, both assisted by Edwards, to spark Minnesota’s historic run. All five of the Timberwolves’ starters scored 10+ points, including NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Naz Reid, who delivered 11 points for Minnesota off the bench.
A GAME 7 FEAST. 🍽️
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 20, 2024
Jaden - 23 PTS / 6 REB / 2 STL
KAT - 23 PTS / 12 REB / 2 STL
Ant - 16 PTS / 8 REB / 7 AST / 2 STL
Rudy - 13 PTS / 9 REB / 2 BLK
Naz - 11 PTS / 2 BLK
Mike - 10 PTS / 8 REB pic.twitter.com/HyoOA7m2cN
While the Nuggets’ fell short of reaching back-to-back Western Conference Finals, their star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray put on a show, however their performance was not enough for Denver to capture a Game 7 victory. Murray led the game in scoring with 35 points, knocking down four three-pointers and recording three rebounds and assists. 3x NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was right behind Murray, scoring 34 points and grabbing a game-high 19 rebounds to capture the Nuggets’ only double-double of the game and dished out seven assists. However, the Nuggets fell short with their supporting cast, with forward Michael Porter Jr. becoming the third-highest scorer for the Nuggets in Game 7 with seven points. Outside fo Jokic and Murray, the remaining Nuggets’ players combined for 21 points 8-28 shooting.
While star power is important in a playoff run, the Timberwolves showed that it takes an entire team to capture a victory on such a significant stage as Game 7. The Timberwolves will host Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday, May 22, against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks at 8:30 p.m. EST.
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