DENVER — The Minnesota Timberwolves’ historic 20-point comeback over the Denver Nuggets in Sunday’s Sport 7 to earn a visit to the Western Convention finals really began 13 months in the past at bar a couple of miles away from Ball Enviornment.
The Timberwolves had simply misplaced to the Nuggets within the first spherical of the playoffs in April 2023, with Anthony Edwards’ potential game-tying 3 arising empty as time expired in Sport 5. Afterward, Edwards and a few teammates went to a cocktail lounge, Neglect Me Not, within the Cherry Creek neighborhood, with their chartered flight once more dwelling not scheduled to depart till the following morning.
Of the entire gin joints in the entire cities in the entire world, Denver level guard Jamal Murray — recent off a 35-point displaying within the closeout sport — simply so occurred to stroll into the identical bar because the Timberwolves.
And Edwards, a budding star but to have the breakout postseason that has turned him right into a bona fide famous person this spring, had a message to ship to Murray.
“He was speaking s—,” Edwards informed ESPN as he walked down the ramp towards the staff bus following his membership’s 98-90 victory on Sunday. “He was telling Mike [Conley]’I am sick of you, you’ll be able to’t guard me,’ and all that.
“I informed him, ‘We’ll be once more. You will see us once more following we’re totally loaded.'”
Edwards’ declaration got here to fruition Sunday.
The Timberwolves, who trailed by as many as 20 factors within the third quarter, stormed once more to finish the most important comeback in a Sport 7 prior to now 25 postseasons to dethrone the defending champion Nuggets.
“It reveals who we’re,” Edwards stated following the victory. “As soon as we actually lock in on the defensive finish, man, we’re a hell of a staff to beat.”
In the meantime, the Nuggets grew to become the fifth consecutive defending NBA champion to fail to succeed in the convention finals — and the primary staff in league historical past to guide by 15 or extra at halftime of a Sport 7 and go on to lose.
Simply as Edwards proclaimed, it was a complete staff effort that took Denver down, with six Timberwolves scoring in double digits as in comparison with simply two for the Nuggets. It was wanted too, with Edwards struggling via a 6-for-24 taking pictures evening.
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Timberwolves four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Cities led the best way, delivering essentially the most spectacular efficiency of his nine-year profession.
Cities, the franchise’s No. 1 decide in 2015 and the longest-tenured member of the staff, scored 23 factors with 12 rebounds, 2 steals and a blocked shot. Extra importantly, he gave regarding as efficient a one-on-one defensive effort towards Denver’s three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, as anybody might possibly be anticipated to provide.
“I believe you see how at peace and completely happy he’s proper now,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch stated of Cities. “He needed to belief that he was by no means going to be marginalized. All younger gamers all the time assume they will do all of it by themselves, however on this league, no one can.
“I might not be extra completely happy and proud for him. Simply because I believe he is confronted numerous unfair criticism in terms of the postseason at occasions.”
Jokic completed with 34 factors and 19 rebounds however shot 13-for-28 from the sphere and 2-for-10 on 3-pointers. Murray scored 35 on 13-for-27 taking pictures with 3 assists and 4 turnovers.
It was Cities’ fifth 20-point effort of the postseason, with all 5 of them approaching the street.
“It was robust, man, as a result of I might not discover myself, my rhythm tonight,” Edwards stated. “So, I simply needed to belief my teammates. … I simply needed to make the precise performs all through the remainder of the sport. I did that, and my teammates made photographs. Large shoutout to these guys.”
The Timberwolves used a 32-9 run from the ten:50 mark of the third quarter to 11:14 of the fourth to wrest management of the sport from the Nuggets. Whereas Edwards began simply 1-for-9 from the sphere, he discovered extra success following halftime, scoring 9 factors within the third, together with a step-back 3 to beat the quarter buzzer. Rudy Gobert, Minnesota’s four-time Defensive Participant of the Yr, added an surprising offensive punch within the fourth quarter, scoring eight of his 13 factors within the last body — together with a miraculous, arcing turnaround leap shot — following beginning the sport 1-for-5.
Run For The Ages
The Timberwolves have been down 20 factors to the Nuggets at 10:50 of the third quarter Sunday evening. After that, the Wolves staged the most important comeback in a Sport 7 prior to now 25 seasons. A have a look at the way it unfolded:
MINDENPts6032FG18-3612-353-pt FG6-163-19– ESPN Stats & Info
“I believe when Rudy hit the turnaround, I used to be like, ‘Yeah, we in all probability acquired them,'” Edwards stated when requested when he really felt momentum had turned in Minnesota’s favor. “Large shoutout to Large Ru, hit the turnaround on their a–.”
Within the second half, Gobert helped the Timberwolves maintain the Nuggets to simply 37 factors on 35.9% taking pictures (19% from 3) and outrebound Denver 29-15.
“It feels nice,” Gobert stated. “Beating a staff like they’re, an unbelievable staff, a championship staff, with the very best participant on the earth, it feels good.”
Minnesota went forward by as many as 10 within the fourth on an Edwards nook 3 with 3:05 remaining, inflicting the Nuggets to name timeout as Edwards screamed and jumped for pleasure, hugging a courtside fan. A loud contingent of touring Minnesota followers crammed the sector with a “Let’s go Wolves!” chant to punctuate the second.
“That was dope,” stated Minnesota heart Naz Reid, who continued to shine in his Sixth Man of the Yr function with 11 factors off the bench. “We had our personal part, and so they have been going towards the entire stadium.”
The Timberwolves’ 17-year veteran, Mike Conley, chipped in 10 factors and eight rebounds and broke an 0-4 profession mark in Sport 7s. Jaden McDaniels, whom Edwards known as the staff’s MVP of the playoffs so far, scored 23 factors on 7-for-10 taking pictures to go together with 6 rebounds, 2 steals and a block.
The twentieth assembly of the 2 groups between the common season and the playoffs for the reason that begin of the 2022-23 marketing campaign turned out to be a basic — and essentially the most compelling sport of the sequence. (Solely two of the primary six video games of this second-round sequence had been determined by fewer than 10 factors, whereas three video games concerned a last margin of 25-plus factors.)
“That was a hell of a sequence,” Denver coach Michael Malone stated. “They gave us all we may deal with, and so they ended up profitable Sport 7 on our dwelling court docket, which is a troublesome one to swallow. However we’ll be once more.”
Minnesota improved to 2-0 in Sport 7 in franchise historical past and is the NBA’s solely undefeated franchise in Sport 7.
And Cities identified that Sunday occurred to be Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett’s forty eighth birthday, making it all of the extra applicable that Minneapolis goes to celebration prefer it’s 2004. For the primary time in twenty years, when Garnett & Co. misplaced to the Los Angeles Lakers in six video games, the Wolves are once more within the convention finals.
“I simply need these guys to know. I do not assume they perceive what they simply did,” the 36-year-old Conley stated. “Undertaking what they’ve and attending to the West Convention finals is a superb alternative. Do not take it as a right. Have fun the second now, however be able to go. You might have one other staff ready for you. All people’s in the best way of your targets, so it’s important to be able to go.”
The Timberwolves will face the Dallas Mavericks for the precise to symbolize the West within the NBA Finals. Minnesota will host Sport 1 on Wednesday.
The Wolves opened as -150 favorites to win the sequence over the Mavs, who verify in at +130, per ESPN BET odds.
