In the second half of a messy, wild and entertaining Game 7 — when legs were tired and teams’ wills were tested — it was clear one team had championship energy and resolve.
Not the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
It was the Minnesota Timberwolves.
They were down 20 just two minutes into the second half and won the final 22 minutes 60-32. It was the young Timberwolves that played physical defense on one end while attacking the rim at the other in the final minutes, plus hitting their 3s.
TIMBERWOLVES ARE ROLLING ‼️
— NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2024
NAZ PUTBACK.
CONLEY STEAL.
ANT TRIPLE.
MIN up 92-82 with 3 minutes left on TNT 👀 pic.twitter.com/RYxIBItrl6
It is the Minnesota Timberwolves who advance to the Western Conference Finals, winning the series 3-2. Minnesota will host Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks starting on Wednesday night.
It is the defending champion Nuggets that are done for the season.
It was Jamal Murray and MVP Nikola Jokic who were gassed late in the game after a strong first half. It was Anthony Edwards who struggled early but found his rhythm late.
And it was the Minnesota big men — Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid — who outplayed a big and skilled Denver front line and changed the game.
In the first half, it looked like it would be the defending champion’s night.
The difference in the first half (and one of the barometers of this series) was an aggressive Jamal Murray. He finished the first 24 minutes with 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including some key 3s. Minnesota was loading up on Jokic, not wanting him to beat them, but Murray stepped up (Jokic still had 13 points and 15 rebounds in the first half).
It was the opposite of Edwards — the Nuggets doubled him every time he started to make a move and he finished the first half 1-of-7 shooting for four points. Edwards was not getting help when he gave up the ball — Gobert and Conley combined to be 1-of-10 shooting in the first half — with only Towns showing up, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
Denver was also simply winning the hustle points, as evidenced by their eight offensive rebounds in the first half. The result was a 15-point Denver lead at the half, 53-38.
That lead stretched out to 58-38 a couple of minutes into the third — and that’s when everything changed.
“Then it went to a special place in the third quarter, where we’ve been able to take it at times,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “Everybody just kind of bucking up and making plays, executing the game plan.”
Minnesota’s league-best defense was the foundation of its comeback. The Timberwolves went on a 19-3 third-quarter run when Denver missed nine straight shots at one point.
“It showed who we are. Once we really lock in on the defensive end we’re a hell of a team to beat,” Edwards said.
On offense in the second half, the Timberwolves sharpened their efforts to drag Jokic into every pick-and-roll action, trying to wear him down.
That Minnesota run extended to 28-9 and when Edwards hit a 3 to end the third quarter, it was a one-point game entering the fourth, 67-66 Denver.
In the fourth, it was the Timberwolves who showed more resilience and had more energy — they just kept making plays.
The Timberwolves erased a TWENTY-POINT 2nd half deficit in Game 7 to advance to their first Western Conference Finals since 2004!
— NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2024
This 20-point comeback is the LARGEST in Game 7 history in the play-by-play era (1997-1998). pic.twitter.com/kfOYTs5qt2
This was a true, balanced, team win for the Timberwolves. Towns and Jaden McDaniels led the team in scoring with 23 a piece (KAT also had 12 boards), while Edwards had 16 (on 24 shot attempts), and Reid had 11 off the bench.
Murray led the Nuggets with 35 points but Edwards held him in check in the second half, Jokic had 35 points and 19 rebounds, but both were dragging in the game’s final minutes. Nobody else stepped up (the rest of the team was 2-of-11 from 3).
This was a true Game 7 — not pretty but intense and physical. A real test of a team’s basketball skills and will.
Minnesota had more of both on Sunday and they deserved to advance.
