Mike Conley Jr. missed the Wolves' Game 5 loss. But he returned to the lineup in tonight's 45-point win. Rudy Gobert: "Don't ever leave me again." 🎥 @ChrisLongKSTP
Minnesota Timberwolves crushes Denver Nuggets to force the series to an exciting game 7
NBAFriday, 17 May 2024 at 05:32
In an absolutely crazy game 6 in front of their home crowd, the Minnesota Timberwolves obliterated the Denver Nuggets and sent the series to an epic game 7 next Sunday. Anthony Edwards was a force, scoring 27 points and leading his squad to an incredible win 115- 70.
The Denver Nuggets were coming off a three-game winning streak. Michael Malone's team resurged from a complicated situation, reversing a 0-2 series deficit after not being able to win any game at home. The adjustments of the coaching staff, players who raised their level like Murray and Gordon, and a Nikola Jokic playing on full MVP mode were enough to recover from the disadvantage and put the Wolves on the ropes.
Minnesota, on its own, played with the obligation and pressure to win or go home. Mike Conley returned after missing game 5 and was essential to control the game in favor of his team. The veteran point guard finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
Rudy Gobert was phenomenal protecting the key. The French center played focused and positionally aware, always staying home and lurking, making any penetration attempt by the Nuggets uncomfortable. He finished with 8 points and 14 rebounds.
Anthony Edwards was a threat on offense, effective from all areas and making several plays for the best of the week. The young sensation scored 27 points on 44% shooting from the field, and was lethal from distance, making 4 three-pointers in 9 attempts.
The Timberwolves crushed Denver so badly tonight, that the last quarter was garbage time. With 10 minutes to go the difference was so wide that the Nuggets threw in the towel by sending the deep of their bench to action. The final margin was 45 points and is a reflection of a team that did everything right and a team that did everything wrong.
Denver's field effectiveness as a team was really poor, 30.2%. From long distance things were even worse for the Nuggets, 19% compared to almost 38% of their rivals. The lack of execution on offense and the abuse of long-range shooting was noticeable despite not being able to buy a basket. Nikola Jokic stood out for his team with 22 points and 9 rebounds. The offensive nightmare of the Nuggets can be appreciated in the few assists that the Serbian was able to distribute, just 2 in the whole game.
Jamal Murray had his worst game of the series and of these playoffs, 4/18 from the field for a very low 22.2% and 28.6% from behind the arc. Only 10 points scored by the Canadian.
The series reaches its climax, what all fans want to see. Game 7 to decide who advances to the Western Finals. The game will be played at the Ball Arena in Denver on Sunday, the schedule is yet to be confirmed.
