The Denver Nuggets held a commanding 58-38 lead with 10:04 remaining in the third quarter, seemingly poised to secure a spot in the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive season. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves orchestrated a remarkable 28-9 surge, narrowing the deficit to 67-66 by the end of the third quarter at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Sunday. Despite the Nuggets’ efforts to regroup, Minnesota executed a historic comeback, clinching a 98-90 victory and limiting the Nuggets to fewer than 100 points for the fifth time this season in their head-to-head matchups.
In the first quarter, the Nuggets led 24-19, punctuated by a three-pointer from Jamal Murray with 13.1 seconds remaining. Denver maintained their lead into the second quarter, holding a 36-29 advantage after Murray’s 1-foot two-point shot with 6:22 left. Similar to Game Four, the Timberwolves faced a ten-point deficit with 58 seconds remaining until halftime. Nonetheless, the Nuggets closed the half with a 5-0 run, securing a commanding 53-38 lead after consecutive baskets by Jokic and Murray. However, the Timberwolves dominated the second half, outscoring the Nuggets 60-37, securing their spot in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2004.
Photo Cred: Yahoo Sports
The game remained competitive at the start of the fourth quarter, but a pivotal moment came when Rudy Gobert sank a 12-foot jumper over Nikola Jokic as the shot clock expired, propelling Minnesota to a 79-75 lead with 7:43 remaining. Despite the Nuggets narrowing the deficit to three points on multiple occasions, the Timberwolves maintained their lead, clinching the largest comeback in a Game Seven in NBA playoffs history.
“The season’s over, that’s what’s hard. F*** being up 20. The season’s over,” lamented Nuggets’ head coach Michael Malone, reflecting on the challenge of squandering a 20-point lead in the second half.
In his postgame press conference, Minnesota head coach Chris Finch emphasized the Timberwolves’ unwavering focus throughout the series, stating, “We said to ourselves all series: ‘Our best is better than their best, and we just had to play our best.’”
Photo Cred: The Denver Post
Despite the loss, MVP Nikola Jokic delivered another outstanding performance, scoring 34 points, grabbing 19 rebounds, and dishing out seven assists in 46 minutes. Murray led the Nuggets with 35 points, shooting 13-27 overall and 4-12 from three, but was limited to just 11 points in the second half. Aaron Gordon managed only four points, shooting 2-5 overall, with four rebounds and two assists, marking a playoffs-low performance. After contributing a combined 45 points in Games Four and Five, Gordon scored just 16 combined points in the losses during Games Six and Seven. Michael Porter Jr. struggled, scoring only seven points and shooting 3-12 overall, including 1-6 from three.
Anthony Edwards had his lowest scoring output in the playoffs since April 23, tallying 16 points on 6-24 shooting overall and 2-10 from three. However, other Timberwolves players stepped up, notably Jaden McDaniels, who recorded his highest playoff total since April 23 with 23 points on 7-10 shooting overall and 3-4 from three. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds, shooting an efficient 8-14 overall but only 1-6 from three.
Both teams struggled with shooting efficiency, as the Nuggets shot 41.0% overall and 24.2% from three, while the Timberwolves shot 39.2% overall and just 29.4% from three. Although Minnesota out-rebounded Denver 47-44, the Timberwolves secured crucial offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, leading to second-chance points on multiple possessions.
Reflecting on the loss, Jokic acknowledged the significance of the better team prevailing in a seven-game series, stating, “I think the team who wins is the better team, especially in a seven-game series. If someone beats you, they’re the better team.”
The Nuggets will now regroup after failing to secure back-to-back NBA championships, facing the challenge of competing in the highly talented Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2004 and will host Luka Doncic and the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks, who defeated the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in six games.
